Under Pressure:WRITING YOUR COVER

LETTER

Olga RakhmatullovaCounter-Trafficking Unit IOM Mission in Ukraine

Plan

What is cover letter? Why cover letter?How a cover letter should look? What should be in a cover letter?Cover letter checklistFUN and LEARNING

What is Cover Letter?

A document that accompanies your resume when applying for jobs/internships

Why Cover Letter? To personalize your resume; Highlight specific information about you

and the Company that make two of you a perfect fit

Prepare for Writing:Gather facts on yourself, company job

Read an advertisement; highlight main requirements and duties

Make a list of your achievements, experiences and coursework that correspond to the job description

Do formal research on the companyDo informal research on the position

EXERCISE 1“JOB-COMPANY-YOU”

How should a Cover Letter look?

Keep your letter to one side of A4Use clear, readable and professional fontAim for no more than 4-5 paragraphs, keep

sentences shortMake sure you your letter has good margins;

put 2 spaces between paragraphs to make a letter look neat

Use “Madam/Sir” or “Internship Coordinator” or similar of no names are provided

What should be in a cover letter?MAIN RULES:

Keep it brief, get across important pointsMake it confident, positive and enthusiasticAvoid repetition of information stated in your resume

(rather supplement it)Address it to the person, not organizationRefer reader to CV where relevantEnsure you include all contact informationHave people you trust proofread itDOUBLECHECK for misspellings and typos

What should be in a cover letter?Paragraph 1

2-3 sentences in lengthState what position you are applying for,

where you learned about itMention any personal contacts with the

companyCreate interest by stating in one sentence

why you think you will do a good match for the position

EXERCISE 2“INTRODUCTORY

PARAGRAPH”

What should be in a cover letter?Paragraph 2-3

3-5 sentences in lengthEmphasize a match between the skills and

expertise you possess and Employer’s requirements

Present your achievements (both academic and professional) that relate to the position you are applying for

EXERCISE 3“THE BODY OF YOUR

COVER LETTER”

What should be in a cover letter?Paragraph 4

Thank for the time and consideration

State your availability datesProvide information on how to

contact you to receive additional information

EXERCISE 4“CONCLUDING YOUR

COVER LETTER”

How to make your Cover Letter Stronger?

Giver preference to active rather than passive voice (“I presented industry analysis” rather than “case analysis was presented by me”)

Prefer verbs to adjectivesProvide evidence/examples for your

statementsDon’t begin every sentence with I

Cover letter checklist

Done your research on the company Addressed your covering letter to the right person Used an easy-to-read font Stated what the job is and where you saw it advertised Made it clear why you want to work for them and

why your skills match the job Reflected the job advertisement's tone Made yourself sound positive and enthusiastic Kept it clear and brief, with good presentation Checked and double-checked for errors

Useful links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work/applications/content_check.shtml

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/550/06/

http://www.reslady.com/coverletters.html http://www.susanireland.com/letterguide/rule

s.html

http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/output/page219.asp