Cover Letter Template

Now that you have written a cover letter, feel free to drop by for personalized feedback. Below is the template that we sent out yesterday.

Your Name
Your Street
College Park, MD zip
###-###-####
address@email.com


September XX, 2009


HR Rep’s Name, Title
Organization Name
Street Address
City, State zip


Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. XXX: or, if you don’t have a contact person, To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to express my interest in name of position for the spring 2010 academic semester. Be creative in this next line to capture the employer’s interest. Why are you applying here? Don’t write in terms of what the position will do for you. Talk about the organization, how you believe in its work, and how it would be an honor to contribute to their work/mission.

In the next two-to-three paragraphs, you should write about your Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSAs) only in terms of how they apply to the organization and the specific position you are applying for. Now, get informed! Type “organization name and core competencies” into Google and see if you can uncover info on the organization’s strategy. Peruse the Web site. Focus most on aspects of the job description and the organization’s mission/strategy that apply most directly to your KSAs.

Write about how you are well-equipped to contribute to the organization, NOT how the position will benefit you. There is no set formula for, let’s say, opening with your skills and then applying them to the position; or opening with the skills required, and then matching your skills to them. Do what makes creative sense.

Only use acronyms on second reference. Spell out first; for example, The United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Limit your cover letter to one page. Use action verbs and the active voice. Do not use contractions; write “it is,” rather than “it’s”. Write in a confident tone, but avoid saying things like, “I’m the perfect candidate for this position.” Allow your letter to speak for itself, rather than making brazen statements like this.

Bring it to a close here. Consider this kind of language: I hope that you will consider this application to contribute my skills, share my passion for __________, and work towards _____________. Please find my resume attached/enclosed and do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thank you.

Sincerely,


First Lastname