Cover Letters

Job seekers typically have a hard time writing a cover letter because they are not sure how to write one without sounding mundane and stating the obvious: ....this is in reply to your advertisement in the Toronto Star on August 15th ....

A cover letter should catch the readers attention. It is used to introduce yourself and list the accomplishments you feel have a relevance to the position. Tailor your letter to answer the question on every employers mind, namely "what can you do for me?"

Start your letter by creating your own letterhead, and as in a business letter on the left hand margin type the date, leave a few blank lines and continue with the addressee contact information, such as their name, title, name of company, address. Leave two blank lines and type the salutation. Use dear Mr., Ms. and their last name. Leave another two blank lines and begin the body of the letter.

For the opening paragraph in the body of the letter, avoid the typical "this letter is in response to your advertisement in the Star on August 22, 2001". Instead, start the letter with an attention grabber. Refer to a contact, telephone conversation or use research that you have done. For example, "Thank you for speaking with me on Friday. I enjoyed our conversation and appreciate the time you spent with me" or, "Jane Wilson from your IT department informed me of a current opportunity within the MIS department" or get straight to the point and describe yourself and your experience briefly. For example, "I have worked as a programmer for the past 7 years with an innovative software development firm. My extensive knowledge of C++ combined with an ability to meet problem solve and meet deadlines within a fast paced environment has contributed to my success".

Keep the letter to one page with three paragraphs and try not to be too wordy. The first paragraph, as mentioned above is the attention grabber. The second paragraph can be used to match your qualifications with that of the opportunity. If there are one or two additional qualifications you have that you think would be of interest include them also. The final paragraph is the closing paragraph indicating when you intend to follow up on the correspondence and to thank the reader for his/her consideration and confirm your interest in the position.

Be sure to check for spelling and grammar errors before you send your letter and resume. Also be sure that your return address and telephone number are clearly indicated on your letter and/or resume.

Thank you letters

Sending a thank you letter following an interview has several purposes. Not only does it demonstrate good manners, it awards you another chance to have your name in front of the interviewer, and if written properly, can touch on the discussions you had with the interviewer and reiterate your strengths and interest in the job.

Start your letter as you would any letter, with the date and addressees name on the top left hand margin. Use the salutation "Dear Mr./Ms. Smith" and start the opening paragraph with a positive statement such as "Thank you for your time on Aug, 15th, it was a pleasure to discuss with you your requirements for the MIS Manager position."

In the next paragraph start the body of the letter. In the body of the letter restate your interest in the position and match the qualifications of the position with your abilities and unique talents. Make reference to the topics you discussed during the interview and close the letter indicating when you will follow up to check the progress of the position.

Remember to sign the letter and send it via post.