Quick questions to
ask yourself when writing your cover letters:
Have I addressed the
letter to the contact
or hiring person
(whenever possible)?
Have I explained how
my experience/skills/abilities meet the specific
needs of the employer?
Have I provided a couple
of concrete examples of abilities and/or skills that I possess that demonstrate
my ability to perform the tasks that the employer
needs me to do?
Have I focused on the
positive
aspects of my abilities, and left out any
negatives?
negative: Although
I have little experience doing...I have the ability to learn quickly.
positive:
Having learned Java in three months, I designed the _____ program for use
in...
negative: For
Big Company Inc., I had to do filing, answer phones and I had
to communicate with people from other departments.
positive:
I handled customer complaints and reported to four different departments
for Big Company Inc. This experience will enable me to communicate
with your clients in a professional manner.
Is the employer going
to immediately see the relevance
of what I am telling him or her?
Have I ensured that
my letter is easy to read
(i.e. short, to the point, eye-pleasing font, perfect spelling, grammatically
correct, etc.)?
