Cover Letters

Professor Stevens Amidon

Department of English and Linguistics, IPFW

Definitions (1)

A cover letter, or application letter, communicates to a prospective employer your interest in a position.

– Solicited: responding to an advertised vacancy.

– Unsolicited: prospecting for a position which is not advertised.

Purpose

• The purpose of the employment report (résumé and cover letter) is TO GET YOU AN INTERVIEW.

• Since the résumé reports on information from the past, the cover letter should focus on the future. You need to tell the employer what you can do for him/her.

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• Most employers prefer a letter that is clear, concise, and correct. A letter which is difficult to understand, which is longer than a page, or which has grammatical or spelling errors, will not get you the interview.

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• In the cover letter you want to persuade the employer that you have the skills which make you an ideal candidate for the position.

• The rhetorical mistake most applicants make in cover letters is that they tend to make generalizations (I am a motivated, team player) instead of providing evidence.

Cover Letters: Organizational Plan

• Paragraph 1: Tell the reader how you learned about the job, and why you are interested in the position. Show interest.

• Paragraph 2: Use concrete evidence to show why you are the best candidate for the position.

• Paragraph 3: Close the sale —ask for an interview.

Examples of Evidence

• While at Lithion, I was part of a team which developed the rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries which are being used in Nasa’s Mars Rover project.

• My two years of part-time experience in the Dean’s office at IPFW helped me develop the administrative and human-relations skills this position demands.

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• Remember, the purpose of the cover letter and résumé is to get you an interview.

• So ask for the interview!!!• For example: “I will call your office next

Thursday, January 15, to discuss the possibility of scheduling an interview.”

• Most employers like such a direct approach which demonstrates initiative and helps eliminate “phone tag.”