Cover letter Goal: To convince the employer to invite you for an interview. Ask yourself: 1.What job are you applying for? 2.How did you find out about the job? 3.What are the employers needs? 4.How can you fill these needs?

Heading  This is your address and the date  The date is stated with the day first; then the month, then the year.  Example: 20 November 2008  The heading is lined up with the left margin.

Inside address  This is the address of where the letter is being mailed.  This begins with the person’s name  The next line includes the name of the company  The next two lines are the address.  For your cover letter: Interviewer Battlefield High School Graduation Drive Haymarket, VA You may get a specific name before interview day. You may change it then.

Salutation  The salutation is the opening “Dear…”  Always address a specific person. If you do not know a specific person, write, “Dear Personnel Manager:”  The salutation is a business letter is always punctuated with a colon (:).  Avoid Clichés: “To whom it may concern”

The body (the letter)  All paragraphs will be lined up with the left margin. There will be no indenting!!  Letter will be about 3-4 “paragraphs”.  Opening/closing:Couple of sentences.  The goal of your paragraphs is to elaborate on your strengths and to convince an employer to look at your résumé and to call you for an interview.

Introduction- Paragraph 1  Your introduction is brief. You will state your name, the job you are applying for, how you found out about the job, and to request an interview.

Body paragraphs (paragraphs 2 possibly 3)  Explain what you can do for the employer- how can your skills meet the needs of the organization.  This is a place to elaborate on the details from your résumé. It is not a place to just list the same items from it.  Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they relate to the position for which you are applying. Choose points you want to make about Specific experiences/accomplishments or about general qualities you have exhibited, and provide Specific examples to support those points.

Final Paragraph  This is a short 2-4 sentences paragraph. You should refer to the enclosed resume, request an interview, tell how you can be contacted.  It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Complimentary closing  Lined up with the left margin.  Sincerely

Signature  Skip several lines after the complimentary closing.  Type your name  Make sure that you sign the area between the complimentary closing and the typed name

Tips to make the letter professional  Research the company and the specifics about the position so you can tailor your letter to the needs of the organization.  Avoid using too many sentences that start with "I" or writing in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to..." or "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem-solving skills on a daily basis.").  Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's).  Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work.  Use good quality paper that matches your resume paper and envelopes.