Writing Effective Cover Letters | Minnesota Works Blog

Your cover letter, along with your business card and resume, is an important tool of the job-hunting trade.

Written in business style, cover letters should contain an expression of your interest in working for a company, an abbreviated introduction to your career and a short, compelling paragraph detailing why you would be a perfect fit for a current or future opening.???

Each letter must be targeted for each position you seek or contact you make. Deciding what to put in the letter remains tricky since you do not want to repeat your entire resume, yet you will want to make a strong case for a company to, in fact, look at your skills and experience to see if they fit any open positions.?

Cover letters are employed in a variety of circumstances, ranging from applying for advertised jobs to serving as a ?letter of introduction? to companies where you want to work, requesting networking leads or informational interviews. The targeted audience may be different, but the general approach remains the same: Put your best foot forward.

Cover letters serve different readers. Typically, cover letters are targeted at specific job openings in a company. These ?application? letters match your qualifications to a position?s advertised requirements.

Another variation, the ?prospecting? letter, is used to contact employers who haven?t advertised or published job openings. These letters call for describing your skills and matching them to the perceived needs of the employer based on your research.

The ?networking? letter, in contrast, first refers to the person who gave you the referral before asking for an informational interview or, in the case of an opening, consideration for the position. It?s fine to ask in a networking letter for recipients to share more contacts at other companies if they?re willing.

Whenever using any of these letters remember to include a section attachment ? your resume. Cover letters use standard business letter formats. Below your name and address ? or masthead ? will be the date, followed by an empty line, then the recipient?s name and title, street address, city, state and ZIP code.

Tips for writing cover letters:

• Address a Person?
  Always address the letter to a specific person by name and title. Even if responding to a job that states ?no phone calls? consider calling to politely ask the name of the hiring authority. You may not always be able to identify the name of a specific person. In this case, send the letter to the title of the recipient (Production Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Office Manager, Human Resources or Search Committee). Avoid ?To Whom It May Concern.?
• State Your Intent?
  In general, state your interest in the job.?In the case of a letter of introduction, simply state you would like to work for the company. Use the first paragraph to express your energy, enthusiasm, skills, education and work experience
  that could contribute to the company?s success.
• Use the second and third paragraphs, or a list of bullet points, that exhibit briefly your talents, experience and achievements. These can be brief summaries of what you illuminate in greater detail in your attached resume.
• The T Formation
  Consider the ?T? letter format, which first names the specific requirements an employer has asked for in an ad and your corresponding qualifications. If you have collected a list of likely qualifications for the positions you seek, you can do the same thing.
• The Final Paragraph
  Mention you will make a follow-up call within a week, perhaps within a few days, to confirm the document has been received and to ask for an interview. Thank the person for taking the time to read your letter. And use the appropriate closing, such as ?Sincerely.?

One More Look
Proofread your letter to check content, grammar and spelling, and ask someone else to have a look, too. Sign the letter in blue or black ink.

Avoid appearing too familiar, overbearing, humorous or cute. Avoid starting too many sentences or bullet points with ?I?? if possible. Keep sentences short and to the point. The entire letter should be one page composed of three to five paragraphs. Remember, your resume will fill in details.

For more information and sample cover letters, click here.

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Source: http://blog.minnesotaworks.net/2012/07/25/writing-effective-cover-letters/

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