A cover letter details your qualifications for a particular job. Cover letters are written specifically to each individual job posting, using the key skills the job posting is looking for. When properly written, the letter can help the reader navigate and highlight important items on your resume.
The format of your cover letter is formulaic writing. It introduces your three key qualifications for the job, which usually are taken from the job posting, and goes into those qualifications in detail. The format is as follows:
Opening paragraph:
- If applying to a job posting, notify the reader where you found the job posting, the job description, and three qualities you can bring to the table in the position
- If "fishing" for a job, emphasize what you can bring to the table for the company in general focusing on your three key skills
Three body paragraphs:
- The three body paragraphs focus on your three key skills of the opening paragraph
- Each body paragraph focuses on each skill. Skills can be from any internship experience, research experience, project experience, or anything else relevant from your resume
- Typical skills should focus on a core skill, aspect of a core skill, tool used to accomplish a task, and/or communication skills
- The three key skills should be tailored to a specific job posting by identifying key skills within the job posting and matching it to your resume
Closing paragraph:
- Restate your request while wrapping up your entire package
- Stay focused on your request for an interview
- State how your three key skills can benefit the company
Each semester, we hold a Cover Letter workshop to assist students in creating their own cover letters. Here is a link to that presentation:
How To Craft An Effective Cover Letter
MS PowerPoint Presentation (59 Kb)
