Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Cover Letter Tips*

Remember the purpose of the cover letter.

A cover letter accompanying a résumé is expected today. But don't make it just a formality, because that's not the way it is looked upon by human resource directors. Make your cover letter an important piece in your selling package. It should preview the résumé, arousing interest in you as a candidate. You can generate interest by following the same philosophy as in the résumé – show you know the company and highlight the specific skills you have that the company is seeking or can benefit from.

Customize the cover letter.

If at all possible, address your letter to the appropriate person by her or his name and title. A letter of inquiry addressed to “Ms. Janet Mann, Assistant Director of Personnel” will be much more effective than a letter addressed to “Personnel Director” or worse, “To whom it may concern.” Do not use "Dear Sir" as your salutation unless you know your letter will be received by a man. When you don't know who will receive the letter, address it as "Dear Sir or Madam" or " Director." Don't offend with sexist language or implications.

Furthermore, some companies have personnel directors, others have recruiting coordinators, and some have vice presidents for human resources. A simple phone call to the receptionist at your target company should get you the right name, its correct spelling, and the full title of the person you are contacting. You might also take that opportunity to find out if there is any special notation you can add to the address to get your letter into the hands of the appropriate person as soon as possible (suite, floor, or box number).

Think about form and presentation.

Clean, twenty-pound or better bond paper can give your cover letter an attractive, professional appearance. White and ivory are the only acceptable paper colors for a cover letter. Use standard 8 ½ x 11 inch paper for your cover letter.

Make sure that your letter meets the standard margins of a business letter (usually an inch all the way around) and that it is legible and clear. A letter written with ragged margins, faint type, or smudgy ink sends with it the message that the writer is an amateur, uneducated, or doesn’t care about the job.

Keep your writing focused and organized.

Although the three-paragraph, single-page cover letter is a good rule of thumb, don’t get upset if you need five paragraphs and two pages to present yourself. If what you’ve written needs to be two paragraphs instead of one, use two paragraphs. Clarity should always be the determining factor. As long as your letter remains interesting and cohesive, length is not a significant problem. Just don’t ramble. For example, the cover letter is not the place to summarize your background- you have already done this on your résumé.

Distinguish your cover letter from others’.

Include the following elements in your writing:

• Convey personal warmth and enthusiasm.
• Demonstrate that you know something about the company.
• Try to identify something about yourself that is unique or of interest to the employer.
• Request an interview. If possible, suggest a specific date and time. Briefly highlight your qualifications. State the position you are seeking and the source of your information (newspaper ad, friend, etc.).
• Even if your phone number appears on your résumé and under your address at the top of the letter, it is a good idea to repeat it in the closing.

Express your gratitude.

You should always thank your reader at some point in the last few sentences of the letter. “Thank your for considering me,” or just simply, “Thank you” is enough. Don’t get overly profuse. “Thank you for your time and consideration” sounds like you don’t think what you had to say was worth the time spent reading it. “Thank you for reading this letter” sounds like you didn’t expect your reader to finish.

Follow up.

A sentence about your intentions to follow up is good but not strictly necessary. With or without it, you can make a follow-up telephone call about a week after you have submitted your letter, just to remind the prospective employer of your existence and to get some information about how and when interviews will be scheduled, and how long it will take for a decision to be reached. Keep your call brief. Say that you will call “next week” or “in a few days,” instead of specifying a specific day or time, since the person that read your letter might not be there.

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