Quick Tips: Cover Letters

By admin, on June 30th, 2009

(I originally posted these tips on Twitter. @sweetcareers)

Use a formal business style when writing your cover letter, whether you send it in the body of an e-mail, as an attachment or in paper form
Address the letter to a person, i.e. Dear Mr./Ms. ___:
Send to “Hiring Committee” only if necessary; please do not address the letter “To Whom it May Concern:”
Strong cover letters will be tailored to specific employers and emphasize how you can benefit the company
Explain your reason for writing the cover letter in the first paragraph. Offer a brief highlight of your qualifications in the introduction, too
Be sure to provide concrete examples of your qualifications in the body of letter; this doesn’t need to re-iterate entire resume
In the conclusion of cover letter, say that you’ll contact the employer to follow up on your application materials in 1 week. Then, be certain to follow up!