Purpose of your cover letter:
Your cover letter gives the opportunity for you to tell an employer why you are interested in their position and organization specifically and gives you the opportunity to show them how your past experience has prepared you to do their job! The skills table can again be utilized to help you determine which examples to share.
Cover Letter Tips
- No longer than one page and no more than four paragraphs
- Tailor each letter to the company and position.
- Write each letter in your own words
- Do not just list your skills and strengths.
- Use concrete examples of how you have developed your skills and used your talents
- Connect these examples to what the employer has listed as roles and responsibilities
- Send a cover letter with all résumés
Cover Letter Rubric Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers Cover Letter Format Your Street Address Month Day, Year Mr./Ms./Dr. Full Name Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Last Name: Opening Paragraph – Tell why you are writing. Name the position, field or general career area about which you are inquiring or applying. Tell how you heard of the opening, the company or organization (mention a contact name, if you have one) and basic information about yourself. Tell them why you are excited about their specific position at their organization. Middle Paragraph – Mention the qualifications you believe are of greatest interest to the employer. If you have related experience or specialized training, point it out. Do not repeat what is on your résumé but customize your skills and experiences to the employer’s needs. This is the place to highlight your skills and abilities to a potential employer. Document your claims with statements to show evidence of your skills. End the paragraph with a statement indicating your confidence in your ability to perform in the position. Use the table you created before writing your resume as a guide as to what to include in this paragraph and how to connect your experience and examples to the employer. Closing Paragraph – Refer the reader to your enclosed résumé or application. If this is a letter of inquiry, request an application or other informational materials and an interview. If this is a letter of application, state what you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer within two weeks to check on the status of the application. Include your phone number and state that you would be glad to provide any additional information needed. Thank the employer for their consideration of your application/résumé. Sincerely, (Your handwritten signature) Your typed name Cover Letter Examples Sample cover letters to demonstrate description of experiences beyond the resume and tied to position description desired knowledge, skills, and abilities. Want to Use AI in Cover Letter Preparation? Want to use AI to finalize your cover letter? Check out AI in Career Development for an outline on use. After reviewing, you can consider cover letter prompts inspired by 10 Powerful Prompts to Use ChatGPT to Land a Great Job, NACE Journal, and Nathan Lindberg at Cornell University. Remember that if you use AI to create or edit your materials, the final documents should be personalized, accurate, and relevant to the position.
Cover letter should get you noticed
Cover letter is ordinary and average
Cover letter needs significant improvement
Professional format and overall quality of writing
Uses correct professional format with date and addresses on top and a signature on the bottom. It is clear and concise, and grammatically correct. There are no spelling errors.
There are minimal grammatical and spelling errors. This letter is decent in content but does not convince an employer to call. There are minor issues with formatting.
Professional formatting is not used. The letter is not signed. There are multiple grammatical and spelling errors. The content of the letter does not make sense to the reader.
Paragraph 1: Introduction
This section identifies what position for which you are applying, the reason you are sending the letter, how you heard of the opening, and that you are genuinely interested in the position. It grabs the employer’s attention quickly.
This section defines the desired position. It does not describe how you heard about the opening. You vaguely describe why you are interested in this job. It might not catch someone’s attention.
This section does not clearly identify what position you are seeking. There is no description of how you heard about the position or why you are interested.
Paragraph 2: Identification of skills and experiences related to the position
This paragraph identifies one or two of your strongest qualifications and clearly relates how these skills apply to the job. This letter explains specifically why you are interested in this position, company, and how you can benefit the company.
This paragraph identifies one of your skills, but it may not be related to the position at hand. This paragraph does little to explain your interest and vaguely connects your skill to how you can benefit the company.
This paragraph does not discuss any relevant qualifications or skills. It does not explain your interest in the position, company, or location and does not connect your skills to how you can benefit the company.
Paragraph 3: Closing
This paragraph refers the reader to your résumé or any other enclosed documents. It thanks the reader for taking time to read it. You are assertive as you describe how you will follow up with the employer.
This paragraph may not thank the reader for taking time to read this letter. You do not refer the reader to your résumé or application materials. This letter is not assertive and assumes the employer will contact you.
This paragraph does not thank the reader for taking time to review this letter. There is no reference to a résumé or other materials. It does not include any contact information and is not assertive about following up after a given amount of time.
City, State Zip Code
Title
Name of Organization
Street or P.O. Box Address
City, State ZipSample prompts: