How to Write an Effective Cover Letter, Lecture notes of Business

Download How to Write an Effective Cover Letter and more Lecture notes Business in PDF only on Docsity! Masters Career Center How to Write an Effective Cover Letter William Larimer Mellon, Founder Purpose • To help you understand the importance a good cover letter plays in your job search William Larimer Mellon, Founder Ultimate goal: To get an interview!! Stacy Lolkus 222 Harrison Dr Apartment 5 West Lafayette, IN 47906 765-450-7583 slo@purdue.edu October 16, 2006 Jenny Lock Uline — HR Recruiting Center 2105 S. Lakeside Drive Waukegan, IL 60085 Dear Ms. Lockridge: After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am very interested in your Human Resources Summer Internship position. I worked with employee benefits this past summer and became very interested in the human resources aspect. I have obtained many leadership opportunities while working as a Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdue’s Writing Lab that would be valuable in a career at Uline. As Business Writing Consultant Assistant Coordinator at Purdue’s Writing Lab, my primary role is to help train new tutors for the Writing Lab. I work directly with the Business Writing Coordinator teaching classes and participating in mock tutorials to allow students to obtain hands-on experience tutoring business documents. I also organize educational workshops to refresh the skills of current Business Writing Consultants. My position as a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader also challenged me to use my enthusiastic personality to motivate incoming freshmen to be involved in campus activities. As a Human Resources Intern at Uline, I could use all of these leadership skills while learning more about recruiting and hiring practices. Thank you for considering me for this position. I would love to discuss these and other qualifications with you. If you have any questions, please call me at 765-450-7583 or e-mail me at slo@purdue.edu. Sincerely, Stacy Lolkus Stacy Lolkus Enclosure: Résumé Student Address Salutation Middle Paragraph Date Employer Address First Paragraph Conclusion Closing Guidelines—general • Address your target by name. Whenever possible, send your resume directly to the hiring manager. • Mention the specific job to which you are applying and emphasize how your skills fit the job. • Be succinct and on-message. No rambling. • End with a call to action, describing how and when you can be contacted for any additional questions. William Larimer Mellon, Founder Guidelines—Second Paragraph • Customize this section for each job • Use the skills listed in the job posting to explain why you are qualified for this job. • Focus on the skills being sought rather than unrelated skills. If you are a career changer—focus on relevant transferrable skills. William Larimer Mellon, Founder Guidelines—Final Paragraph • End positively and graciously, thanking the reader for their time and consideration • Passion Statement: explicitly state your passion for what you are pursuing and your desire to work for that company. For example, “This opportunity is directly aligned with my passion for _________. [Company’s] strategy in this space places it at the forefront of change.” Mistakes • Not proofreading—spelling and grammar errors are fatal • Forgetting to change the name of the company in the cover letter • Not linking your skills directly to the job—Always use the same language that is used in the job description • Not focusing on what you can do for the company • Not getting to the point quickly • Not submitting a cover letter at all!