THE

COVER

LETTER

DEBRA MANENTE, M.ED., CPRW

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF C.S.

CAREER SERVICES CENTER

NORTH HALL, ROOM 103

TODAY YOU WILL LEARN

• What is a Cover Letter

• Optimal Resume

• How to prep your cover letter

• Mistakes to avoid

WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

OPTIMAL RÉSUMÉ

https://post.optimalresume.com/

1. Take the job

description and

highlight or

circle the

requirements,

skills, and

keywords that

are important.

2. Analyze the job

description and

show how you

meet their

needs.

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER

JOB REQUIREMENT/KEYWORDS HOW DO I QUALIFY?

Fast-paced Worked at McDonalds

Self-starter, work independently Classes – required to work within deadlines and

follow strict research guidelines; GPA 3.7

Website development, branding,

marketing

Internship – Kept company intranet updated and

accurate. Logged hundreds of hours

researching marketing trends, branding

techniques, and topics related to website

development then presented the findings to the

advertising staff - required to write weekly

reports.

Strong communication skills: writing,

verbal

Internship - Wrote weekly reports and presented

minutes at weekly meetings

Time management skills - Can prioritize

and is organized

McDonalds – Had to prioritize and be organized

to survive working at McDonalds

Computer skills Accustomed to working with Microsoft Office

applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

Publisher, Outlook

Leadership skills Acted as shift leader and trainer at McDonalds

The body of your cover letter is custom to the

specific job you are applying to:

1. Analyze the job – both the noted and

assumed needs – and determine the most

important skills the employer is looking for

2. Write your letter in a way that it “qualifies”

you for the job.

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

November 6, 2014

Ms. Jane Doe

ABC Company

100 Country Club Road

Waterbury, CT 06723

Dear Ms. Doe:

I am interested in the <job title> position at <name of

company>. I have outlined my high level qualifications in

response to your job description and have included my

resume for your review.

I believe I am a strong fit for this position because my

strengths are in the area of, _____, _____, and ____.

What are your skills and accomplishments?

Why are you a good fit?

What do you have to offer?

Show highlights of your experience

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

Highlights of my experience include:

• Answered phones

• Filled customer orders

• Took out the trash

• Open and closed the restaurant

• Cleaned machines

• Stocked shelves and supplies

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

Highlights of my experience include:

• Answered phones

• Filled customer orders

• Took out the trash

• Open and closed the restaurant

• Cleaned machines

• Stocked shelves and supplies

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

Highlights of my experience include:

• Prioritized while working within strict deadlines;

maintained a 3.5 GPA while attending school and

working full-time

• Logged hundreds of hours while researching

marketing trends, branding techniques, and topics

related to website development

• Gained strong communication skills while writing

reports and presenting minutes at weekly meetings

• Communicated with a wide range of diversity while

working at McDonalds

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

Highlights of my experience include:

• Prioritized while working within strict deadlines;

maintained a 3.5 GPA while attending school and

working full-time

• Logged hundreds of hours while researching

marketing trends, branding techniques, and topics

related to website development

• Gained strong communication skills while writing

reports and presenting minutes at weekly meetings

• Communicated with a wide range of diversity while

working at McDonalds

Wrap It Up

State your desire to have a follow-

up meeting/interview/phone call

Include contact information

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

I would like to meet with you to discuss

the valuable contributions I can bring to

your organization.

I can be reached at <phone number>, or

<email address>. I look forward to

hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John Deer

PREP YOUR COVER LETTER…

Cute letters

Addressed wrong

Not qualifying yourself

Graphics or pictures

Arrogance

AVOID

Being longer than one page

Wordy letters

Generic letters

Sending letters without a

resume

AVOID…

TODAY YOU LEARNED

• What is a Cover Letter

• Optimal Resume

• How to prep your cover letter

• Mistakes to avoid

OUR NEXT WORKSHOP

WRITE A WINNING RESUME

Thursday, November 13, 2014

North Hall, Room 208

1:00 pm to 2:20 pm

WE CAN HELP

•Résumé writing

•Letter writing

•Effective interviewing

•Job search strategies should you want:

• Full-Time/Part-Time employment

• Internships

• Winter/Summer employment

Optimal Resume =

https://post.optimalresume.com/

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rsityCareerServices

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reerCenter

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