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Cover Letters

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.

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Cover Letters

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  1. Cover Letters Professor Stevens Amidon Department of English and Linguistics, IPFW

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Cover Letters-1 • 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.

  5. Cover Letters-2 • 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. Cover Letters-3 • 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.”

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