Cover Letters Professor Stevens Amidon Department of English and Linguistics, IPFW

Definitions (1) A cover letter, or application letter, communicates to a prospective employer your interest in a position. –Solicited: responding to an advertised vacancy. –Unsolicited: prospecting for a position which is not advertised.

Purpose The purpose of the employment report (résumé and cover letter) is TO GET YOU AN INTERVIEW. Since the résumé reports on information from the past, the cover letter should focus on the future. You need to tell the employer what you can do for him/her.

Cover Letters-1 Most employers prefer a letter that is clear, concise, and correct. A letter which is difficult to understand, which is longer than a page, or which has grammatical or spelling errors, will not get you the interview.

Cover Letters-2 In the cover letter you want to persuade the employer that you have the skills which make you an ideal candidate for the position. The rhetorical mistake most applicants make in cover letters is that they tend to make generalizations (I am a motivated, team player) instead of providing evidence.

Cover Letters: Organizational Plan Paragraph 1: Tell the reader how you learned about the job, and why you are interested in the position. Show interest. Paragraph 2: Use concrete evidence to show why you are the best candidate for the position. Paragraph 3: Close the sale —ask for an interview.

Examples of Evidence While at Lithion, I was part of a team which developed the rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries which are being used in Nasa’s Mars Rover project. My two years of part-time experience in the Dean’s office at IPFW helped me develop the administrative and human- relations skills this position demands.

Cover Letters-3 Remember, the purpose of the cover letter and résumé is to get you an interview. So ask for the interview!!! For example: “I will call your office next Thursday, January 15, to discuss the possibility of scheduling an interview.” Most employers like such a direct approach which demonstrates initiative and helps eliminate “phone tag.”