Wanna Get Noticed? Cover Letters Do the Trick!

Let’s say you’ve got a stellar resume (after having it checked out at the Career Services Center by one of our lovely staff). You’ve got your eye on a couple of jobs that you know you’d be perfect for…and that you desperately need. You email the resume and wait a week. No reply. Two weeks go by, and still nothing. Did you, perhaps, forget to include a cover letter? Even if the job description only asks for a resume, a cover letter is something you should always consider including. Think of it this way: your cover letter is icing on the cake. It makes the whole package look good. So what are cover letters? They give the person reading them (typically a hiring manager) a sense of who you are and why you make a great candidate for a job position. You should also always customize your cover letter for each job you apply for.

Cover letters have three main parts:

1. The opening paragraph states the reason for the letter. It describes the specific position or type of work that you’re applying for, and it tells the reader how you learned about the opening.

2. The second part indicates why you’re interested. Write about why you are drawn to the position you are applying for and to the company offering the position. This shows that you’ve got a genuine interest in the company. The second paragraph is also your chance to explain how your academic background makes you a qualified candidate and to point out your specific achievements or unique qualifications as they may relate to the job description.

3. The closing paragraph indicates your desire for a personal interview. Make sure to close your letter with a statement which will encourage a response, such as, “For an interview, I can be reached at…”

For more tips about writing cover letters, you can refer to our Job & Internship Resource Guide, which can be found here online. For a hard copy, visit the Career Services Center in UC 403.

Seghel