Cover Letters

Purpose of Cover Letters

• To arouse the employer’s interest in you, to impress the employer, and to find out more about you.
• To persuade the employer to give you the opportunity of an interview or a meeting.

Job Specificity

• Each cover letter should be independently written to address the requirements of a specific job.
• Do not write generic cover letters — the same cover letter for different jobs that you apply for.

Preparing for Cover Letters

• Find out what kind or COMPETENCIES or SKILLS are being sought in a job.
• They are often referred to as Job Description, Responsibilities, or Job Duties in a job posting.
• Write them down as a list.

• Related to the above are Job Requirements. They usually refer to your academic and other job-related qualifications and language skills that are necessary for you to take up the position. They are usually more general and less ‘job-specific’ than Job Descriptions or Duties.
• Write them down as a list.

• Visualize how you can contribute to each of item on the list based on your
  • Experience
  • Training, or
  • Characteristics of your personality.
• Write these down too as a list.

• Find out more about the employing company’s values and culture through company websites or people who work there.
• Plan you cover letter based on the above.
• It should not be longer than ONE page.

Employer Focus

• A good cover letter should be focused on the needs of the employer.
• Relate your achievements to the needs of the employer and descriptions of the job.

Unsolicited Cover Letters

• You can write cover letters to make job requests even though there are no job postings by companies.