Cover Letters

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 image below to see a sample cover letter with helpful guidelines. 

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TIPS:

Here are a few cover letter tips from Quintessential Careers:

• 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:

Cover Letter Dos and Don'ts

Sample Resumes and Letters for Students

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!