20-21 Cover Letters & Resumes
Make Yourself Standout!
Do you need to write a cover letter for a job?
Your cover letter is where you can show your passion for the position or company, and highlight relevant qualifications.
Many employers require cover letters as part of the job application process.
However, even when an employer does not explicitly ask for a cover letter, you should send one.
A strong cover letter can make your application stand out!
Select the Right Type of Cover Letter
Your cover letter should be designed specifically for the purpose you are writing and customized for each position you seek.
General Types of Cover Letters
Application Letter
- Written to apply for a specific job opening
- Traditional cover letter that is sent with a resume to apply for a job
Referral Cover Letter
- Mentions the name of a person who has referred you to a job
- Can be a great way to gain an employer’s interest, particularly if the individual providing the referral is known to the company you are interested in working for
Letter of Interest
- Also known as a prospecting letter, inquires about possible job openings at a particular company.
Networking Letter
- Request job search advice and assistance.
- Can be addressed to colleagues, to individuals you have met at professional conferences or other industry events, or to people to whom you connected through professional social networking sites like LinkedIn.
Value Proposition Letter
- A brief statement explaining what makes the candidate unique.
- Future goals that are measureable and attainable
1. Where are you applying?
2. To whom are you writing?
Forget “To Whom It May Concern.”
Find out the name of the hiring manager. If it’s not listed, call human resources (HR).
Also ask if the person goes by Mr., Mrs., or another prefix. This demonstrates initiative and that you’re genuinely interested.
3. Why are you applying?
Put your purpose in your opening paragraph.
Reference the job title that was posted and your objective.
Explain why you want the job, and why you want to work at this company in particular. For example, mentioning a recent piece of news about the company and how that relates to your goals.
4. Why you?
This is the real meat of the letter.
Explain why you’re right for the position that’s available (or for the company as a whole). You don’t want to sound like you’re bragging, but it’s important to talk about your skills, talents, and achievements—particularly as they relate to the job’s responsibilities.
Use specific examples whenever possible. They’re more convincing and you’re less likely to sound conceited.
For example, saying you were an amazing club president is vague. Instead, explain that as president of the club, you organized record-breaking fundraisers or increased attendance at events.
Be specific about successes you’ve had.
You don’t want to repeat what’s in your résumé. Use the cover letter to elaborate on your experiences and how they’ve helped enhance your skills.”
5. Does the letter (therefore you) look good?
Always use spell-check and confirm that names of people and the company are correct.
Reading the letter aloud can be a good way to detect awkward sentences.
Find a second pair of eyes, too. Your school’s career services/ CTAE teacher is a good place to ask for help.
Finally, make sure you have all the headers in the right place and your paragraphs aligned properly. The font and formatting should match your résumé.
If it’s a paper copy, sign it. If it’s electronic, make sure it’s saved in such a way that the formatting and information won’t change when transmitted and it will print well in black and white.
Take Action:
Direct your letter to a specific person.
- Tailor cover letters to the requirements of each position.
- Describe how your skills match what the job entails.
- Provide concrete examples of your accomplishments.
- Visit your school’s career center for help.
What to Include in an Email to a Hiring Manager
Subject. The subject line of your message should include your name and the job title. For example, “Michael Jameson - Marketing Director Position.”
Greeting. The message should include a professional greeting. If you have a contact person, use their name. Otherwise, use “Dear Hiring Manager.”
Note: When at all possible, it’s a smart strategy to learn the name of your contact person. You can do this, perhaps most simply, by calling the organization and asking the receptionist to direct you to their Human Resources department – someone in this department should be able to tell you the name of the person coordinating their search. Alternatively, you can check out the organization’s website to learn the name of their Hiring Manager or search LinkedIn for this information.
Body of the Message. Your message doesn’t need to be long, but it does need to capture the reader’s attention and sell them on why you’re a strong applicant for the job.
The goal of the letter is to “sell” yourself as a desirable candidate and get a job interview, not just to say that your resume is attached.
Write two or three paragraphs, carefully matching your qualifications to the job requirements. The closer you reflect these stated qualifications in your cover letter, the higher your chances are of getting chosen for an interview.
Closing. Close your message with a professional closing like “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Yours truly.”
Signature. Your signature is where you will include all of your contact information: full name, address, phone, email, and your LinkedIn URL if you opt to include it. Make sure that your email address sounds professional: best case scenario, it will be comprised simply of your name: “john_doe@gmail.com.” Never use a “cutesy” email (“Katy_CatWoman” or “Roger_ShadowMage”). You may want to create an email account dedicated solely to your job search in order to keep close track of your applications and employer responses.
Your resume is a tool to get you an interview, not to get you hired.
Your resume is a sheet of paper that represents you as a professional.
Step One: Chronological Format
Dates: Month & Year
Jan 15 – Present
Dec 14 – May 14
Apr 14 – Feb 13
Step Two: Content
Focus on education, work experience, achievements, keywords and any other important information
Step Two: Content: Header
How Someone Gets in Contact with you
- Name – Put your name in bold and in a larger font
- Address – Only city and state
- Phone – Use the phone you most often answer
- Email – Use a personal email that you check often
Ditch the Objective
- An objective statement tells an employer what you want
- BUT the hiring manager’s concern is what the employer wants!
> Google “Career Summary” or
“Branded Statement”
Step Two: Content: Education
Name of School – Flowery Branch High School
Location – City and State: Flowery Branch, GA
Degree – Include your major and any specialization
*OPTIONAL* Expected Graduation – May 2018
Ex. College Prep Diploma with Healthcare Science
Career Pathway
Step Two: Content: Education
Relevant Classes: List classes that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
Ex. Applying for retail sales associate, then list:
Relevant Classes:
- Marketing Principles
- Fashion Merchandising
- Introduction to Business & Technology
Step Two: Content: Education
TIP: Once you have a college degree, you don’t need to include your high school.
For entry level work that specifies “must have high school diploma,” go ahead and list it.
Step Two: Content: Experience
- Jobs (paid)
- Internships (unpaid, long term)
- Volunteer work
- Starting your own company
- Other unpaid opportunities so long as they are relevant
- Ex. Working at family business unpaid
- Ex. Large group projects at school
Step Two: Content: Experience
What to List
- Job title – If you didn’t have a formal title, list one that demonstrates your function
- Company – You may also want to include the division
- Dates – Month Year to Month Year
- Location – City and state is plenty (no need for an address, phone number or other info)
Step Two: Content: Experience
Step Two: Content: Experience
Here is an example of a poor work experience section for a sales job:
Sales Manager
•Maintained customer relations
•Increased regional sales
•Increased sales
•Developed a training course
More effective and appealing description:
Life Insurance Sales Manager
•Implemented new customer relations strategy that yielded a department client retention rate of 97%
•Developed a training course for a new agent hires that resulted in a 73% average increase in revenue over the first 6 months
- Do not write in complete sentences – NO PERIODS
- Start all bullets with ACTION VERBS
- Examples?
- Write in third person – don’t use “I” or “we”
- Be specific, descriptive, & detailed
Never had a job? Focus on other experiences
- Athletics
- Volunteering
- Large group projects in school
Step Two: Content: Experience
- Excellent time management skills. Balanced a 40+ hour practice, training, competition, and travel schedule, in addition to academics
- Maximized social media to increase fan participation and support
- Committed 20-30 hours per week to weight training, skill work, practice, conditioning, film study, and meetings
- Participated in leadership and team building exercises
- Accustomed to performing in high pressured situations
- Balanced academic and athletic time commitments effectively
- Achieved 100% attendance at practices and games for three consecutive years
Step Two: Content: Other
Recognitions
- Honor Roll
- Falcon Star Student
- Awards
- WBL Student of the Month
EXPLAIN the relevance
Ex. Awarded Sportsman Award, top award out of all athletes at FBHS
Certifications
- Microsoft Office (Word, PPT, Excel)
- GeorgiaBEST Certification
- OSHA Certified
- First Aid and CPR certified
- ServSafe
Technical Skills
- Software
- AutoDesk Suite
- Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Office (Word, PPT, Excel)
- Production
- Graphtec Vinyl Cutter
- Wide format Canon printer
- Sublimation printer & application
Tools
- Miter saw
- Scroll saw
- Drill
Step Three: Appearance
PRESENTATION MATTERS
- It won’t matter if you are the best person for a particular job if your application doesn’t reflect that fact.
- Your resume is your ticket to the next step in the hiring process.
Finish Line
- Step One: Format
- Step Two: Content
- Step Three: Appearance