Career Tools & Resources

Cover Letter Guide

Simple Steps to Composing a Cover Letter

Step 1

Highlight the skills/requirements/qualifications on the job posting that you know you have.
After highlighting your skills on the posting, go back and number the highlights.
Give examples or evidence of those skills.

For instance:

Qualifications:
BA in Communications Field, 1.organized individual with the ability to multi-task, 2.experience with editing, pre and post production and 3.marketing a must.
Should be familiar with digitizing, and must be a good writer.

I am an extremely organized person who creates task sheets to keep track of my daily goals.
The editing experience that I gained from......... allowed me to learn....... (specific) skills.
Note: Give an example of a project that you are especially proud of completing.
I have worked intensely with creating and promoting marketing materials, such as...... for......

Step 2

It is helpful have your resume in front of you. You don’t want to use a cover letter to repeat the information that is listed on your resume; however, you can use the cover letter to go into more detail.

Step 3

Your cover letter is a necessary document that will either put you in a call back pile or the trash can. Therefore, use the cover letter as a vehicle to shine!

Sample Cover Letters

Sample cover letters, available as PDFs:

More Cover Letter Resources

Writing Cover Letters for an Internship

University of Chicago (Good site)
Cover Letters

Career Lab—The First and Best Cover Letters: Tips and sample letters
www.careerlab.com/letters/

CollegeGrad.com Cover Letters Tips & Samples
www.collegegrad.com/coverletter

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