A cover letter is a type of business letter that's sent to an employer when you're applying for a job. A cover letter explains to the employer why you want a particular job and what makes you qualified for it.
Cover letters explain your experience and qualifications in detail. The ability to write a good cover letter shows employers that you have strong communication skills.
A cover letter should be less than one page long. It's also important for a cover letter to be single-spaced, clearly written, without errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Click on the sample cover letter below or view the original at Internship Guides for helpful guidelines.
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- Whenever possible, address your cover letter to a named individual
- Grab the reader's attention by writing an appealing first paragraph
- Highlight your three to four key accomplishments/skills/experiences
- Focus on the fit between your qualifications and the job requirements
- Whenever possible, relate yourself to the company
- Never include any negative information
- End your letter by requesting an interview
- Mention that you will follow-up your letter -- and then do so
- Cover letters should be kept to under one page; electronic versions even shorter
- Avoid all types of mistakes, including typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors
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OTHER RESOURCES:
Read Write Think always comes up with fun, interactive tools, such as...
...and...
Check out this handy dandy Resume Generator!
Now, when the time comes to apply for a job, you will be set! I look forward to your cover letters. If you create a resume, I'd love to see that too!
