How to Prepare a Cover Letter
A cover letter is the opportunity for you to tell the hiring organization about your experiences and skills and to bring attention to all the reasons you should be considered seriously. It should not repeat information contained elsewhere in your application except to explain the links between your skills and the position advertised.
Suggestions:
- Use a standard font, and a font size of 10 or higher
- If possible, keep your cover letter to one page to retain the reader’s interest. If your letter is longer than one page, use matching paper if sending hard copy
- Address the letter to the individual or entity mentioned in the advertisement
- Begin by stating the position title and where you found it advertised, followed by the primary reason for your interest in the position, If you are still in the program, state your expected graduation date (month and year)
- If you are still in school, state your expected graduation date
- In a second paragraph, expand on the position advertised and how you would contribute to and learn from it. Refer to your experiences, education, and skills.
- In your final paragraph, thank the reader for his/her consideration and say that you look forward to hearing from him/her. There is no need to include your contact information here as it should be at the top of the cover letter and on your resume/CV
- Ask someone with experience and good grammatical and editing skills to critique your letter before sending it