Writing your Cover Letter
Why is it important?
Writing a cover letter increases the value of your resume to the prospective employer. A well written cover letter introduces your resume and motivates the employer to read it with greater interest and attention. The cover letter should be utilized as a tool to link yourself to the employer and demonstrate your writing skills.
Do employers really read cover letters? Yes!
Unless told otherwise, you should always send a cover letter with your resume. Exceptions would be a career day, job fair, on-campus recruiting, or job search engines. It is best to customize a cover letter for each job.
Essentials of a Cover Letter
A cover letter is typically one page that includes the following information:
- Your contact information can be used as a header similar to your resume (optional)
- Date
- Company Name
- Recruiter Name and title (if available)
- Company address
- Paragraphs describing your interest in the position
- Salutation
- Your contact information
