You should send a Cover Letter when:
- Applying through UDallas CareerLink and the employer has requested it
- Responding to a job posting via direct mail or email
- Sending in response to a referral from a friend or acquaintance
Cover Letters should be:
- Formal, polished, and grammatically correct
- Precise, concise, cordial, and confident
- Written in the active voice
- Varied in sentence structure—don't begin all sentences with "I"
- Printed on the same type of paper as your resume
- Targeted to the needs of the company and requirements of the position
Cover Letters should be addressed to a specific contact:
- If you do not have a contact name:
- Investigate the company website and other online resources for contacts and addresses
- Call the company and request the name of the person responsible for hiring college
graduates in your career area
- If all efforts fail—indicate a specific job title, such as Director of Public Relations,
and use a proper salutation
Follow-Up after sending a Cover Letter:
Calling the employer is acceptable, as long as it is gracious and courteous. Calling
the employer to make sure your application materials were received and ask if any
other materials would assist the employer in arriving at a positive decision regarding
your application is also acceptable.
Sample Power Phrases:
- Consider using adaptations of these phrases in your cover letters:
- ABC's use of advanced digital recording technology is of particular interest to me.
- Your company's management trainee program is particularly unique in its rotational
plan and accompanying classroom instruction.
- I look forward to talking with you and will call your office during the week of September
7th to see if we might arrange a convenient time to meet.
- With my educational background, bilingual skills, and business intern experience,
I am confident I can make a contribution to your international trade department.
- I would like the opportunity to further discuss my qualifications with you in an interview
scheduled at your convenience.
- Please accept the enclosed resume in application for an Assistant Editor position
with News Time.
- As a long-time resident of San Diego, I plan to return to the area to develop my career
in journalism.
Additional Tips:
- Your cover letter should not be a repetition of the wording on your resume
- When sending a resume via email, you may follow the cover letter format to introduce
your attached resume
- Use the term "Enclosure" or "Enclosures" only if you are sending hard copies of your
documents
