Career Services
Cover Letters
Tips For Writing And Producing Job-Search Correspondence
Job-Search letters should reflect sound writing practices and promote your candidacy. You must communicate your value to a prospective employer in an understandable, brief, and positive way. The following guidelines should help you achieve those goals:
| 1. |
Design your letters to be work-centered and employer-centered, not self-centered. Your letters are marketing tools that should address the needs of employers and evoke a desire to learn more about you. |
| 2. |
Never delegate responsibility for your job search to anyone else. Do all the writing yourself, and take responsibility for following through with employers. |
| 3. |
Always address your letters to a specific individual with his or her correct title and business address. |
| 4. |
Use high-quality stationary and envelopes. |
| 5. |
Keep the letter to one page. Eliminate extraneous words and avoid rehashing material from your resume. |
| 6. |
Produce error-free, clean copy. |
| 7. |
Tailor your letters for each situation. Generic, mass-produced letters are unprofessional. |
| 8. |
Show appreciation to the employer for considering your application, for granting you an interview, and so forth. |
| 9. |
Always keep your reader in mind. Make your letters easy to read and attractive. |
| 10. |
Be timely. Demonstrate that you know how to do business for yourself and, by implication, for others. |
| 11. |
Be honest. Always be able to back up your claims with evidence and specific examples from your experience. |
When reflected in your writing, these job-search guidelines should communicate that you are a responsible person with a positive attitude who knows how to operate in a professional environment.
Taken from "Planning Job Choices 2000 43rd Edition"
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