Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Jackie F.'s Cover Letter Tips

I had never heard of cover letters until this class. I was still a little unclear about them until I did some research for this blog. There are two main types of cover letters; hard copy and e-mail. I am going to provide ten tips that will help guide you on how to write a successful cover letter. With that being said, I will just focus on what all cover letters need to have. They should all:

1. Explain why you are sending the information.

2. Explain specifically how you learned about the job.

3. Convince the audience to look at your résumé.

4. Reflect yourself. Add a little bit of your personality, communication skills, and other qualities so that you do not sound boring.

5. Explain how you plan to follow-up.

6. List the facts. It is not an autobiography.

7. Be brief and to the point.

8. Avoid talking about salary in the cover letter. Even though they may ask you about it, it may even work against you.

9. Avoid anything negative. Do not talk about why you left your previous job. That should be kept for the personal interview if they ask about it.

10. Remember the purpose of your cover letter. The purpose is to show that you meet or exceed the requirements that the job is asking for.

"Cover Letters Types and Samples." Career Services at Virginia Tech. 16/09/2009. Virginia Tech, Web. 18 Nov 2009. http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm.


"Cover Letter Writing Tips." Resume-help. 2009. Web. 18 Nov 2009. http://www.resume-help.org/cover_letter_tips.htm.
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3 comments:

  1. ManiNovember 20, 2009 at 6:15 PM

    I understand if you didn't know what a cover letter was, because I didn't know it was the same thing as a letter of application. I think all 10 tips are very important, good job:-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. kaitdl15November 22, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    Writing cover letters can be tricky but I thought these tips were great. You listed some great information and it was very informative!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erin YarbroughNovember 23, 2009 at 9:45 AM

    I am not a big fan of cover letters. Your tips are very helpful. They were very detailed, and I am going to use them the next time I have to make a cover letter! I liked the use of orange , it stands out and got my attention. Keep up the good work!

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