COVER LETTER Naviance Family Connection UNIT 1 LESSON 3 1

Learning Outcomes Students will examine the guidelines and elements of a good cover letter and will write a cover letter. UNIT 1 LESSON 3 2

Lesson Tasks Review cover letter tips and suggestions Review sample Cover letters Research a job using Career Clusters in Naviance Family Connection Draft Cover Letter UNIT 1 LESSON 3 3

Cover Letter A typical hiring manager does not read cover letter before the application They generally spend 10 to 15 seconds scanning your application If they like what they see, they will read more UNIT 1 LESSON 3 4

Cover Letter A cover letter should… focus on company’s needs and how you meet their needs focus on company’s needs and how you meet their needs reflect your understanding of the company & its needs reflect your understanding of the company & its needs point out how your knowledge and skills fill those needs point out how your knowledge and skills fill those needs UNIT 1 LESSON 3 5

Cover Letter Tips Biggest mistake mass producing your resume & cover letter mass producing your resume & cover letter sending resume & cover letter to hundreds of employers sending resume & cover letter to hundreds of employers Employers receive numerous cover letters, resumes and applications daily They do not have time to thoroughly read every letter, resume and application UNIT 1 LESSON 3 6

Cover Letter Tips Your cover letter should be specific and personal Research & identify the hiring manager Typically found on their website in the ‘About Us’ section You can also call the company’s Human Resources Department Make sure it their name & title are spelled correctly Use their title, address, address & telephone number on the letter This allows you to send the letter directly to them UNIT 1 LESSON 3 7

Cover Letter Tips Keep cover letter to one page Your Cover Letter must include: Your address and the date the letter was written Your address and the date the letter was written The name and address of the person to whom the letter is being sent The name and address of the person to whom the letter is being sent A salutation (Dear ____:) A salutation (Dear ____:) The body of the letter The body of the letter A complimentary close and signature A complimentary close and signature A title of respect, such as Dr., Mr., or Ms. A title of respect, such as Dr., Mr., or Ms. A return address and zip code A return address and zip code Can also include reference initials, enclosure notifications (such as your resume), copy and postscript Can also include reference initials, enclosure notifications (such as your resume), copy and postscript UNIT 1 LESSON 3 8

Cover Letter Format Return Address – Design cover letter to look like Personal Contact Information section of resume This will make cover letter look like a piece of customized stationery This will make cover letter look like a piece of customized stationery It also brands all of your documents and looks professional It also brands all of your documents and looks professional Sally Smith 1234 – 26 Avenue Anytown, Washington UNIT 1 LESSON 3 9

Addressing Rules Write all street numbers ten and under as ordinals. Example: 7753 First Street 2593 Tenth Avenue Separate all street number over 10 with a hyphen and drop the th, rd, st, or nd from the street number. Example:7753 – 123 Street 2593 – 229 Avenue UNIT 1 LESSON 3 10

Addressing Rules Spell out words such as: Road, Place, Boulevard, Drive, Street, Avenue Spell single directions out in full: North, South, East, and West. Use two letters for combination directions: NE, SW, NW, SE Apartment, Room, Space, or Suite numbers follow the street address; Apartment may be abbreviated to Apt. Example: – 26 Place East, Apt. 43-B 8973 Lexington Avenue, Suite 303A 2003 – 54 Boulevard West, Room Hammond Drive, Space 445 UNIT 1 LESSON 3 11

Addressing Rules Put one space between the two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code. Example:Everett, WA Everett, WA Use the two-letter abbreviation for the state — typed in caps and without spaces and or periods. Example: WA not Wa. or Wash. Parts of a letter address may include: Name Charlie Jeno, President Name of CompanyJeno’s Pizza Company Street Address2392 Fourth Avenue SE City, State and ZIPEverett, WA UNIT 1 LESSON 3 12

Cover Letter Format Introduction Paragraph – The first paragraph of cover letter should tell employer why you are writing Identify the position and the company Identify the position and the company Indicate how you learned about the position Indicate how you learned about the position Request the employer’s consideration Request the employer’s consideration Introduce basic information about yourself Introduce basic information about yourself UNIT 1 LESSON 3 13

Cover Letter Format Qualification Paragraph - It is your opportunity to sell yourself Answer these questions in this paragraph: What can you do for the company? What can you do for the company? How do you benefit them? How do you benefit them? Briefly state 3 to 4 related skills & qualifications for the position & highlight how they can benefit by hiring you Briefly state 3 to 4 related skills & qualifications for the position & highlight how they can benefit by hiring you UNIT 1 LESSON 3 14

Cover Letter Format Conclusion Paragraph – In this paragraph, state your next step to move the process forward Refer the reader to your enclosed resume Refer the reader to your enclosed resume Reiterate your interest in the position Reiterate your interest in the position Specify how you will follow up Specify how you will follow up Example: “I will contact you next week to schedule an in- person meeting or see if you have any questions or need additional information” Always follow through on what you say you will do UNIT 1 LESSON 3 15

Closing Closing - Always end the correspondence with ‘Sincerely’ as the closing; anything else would be unprofessional If you print your Cover Letter, remember to sign it If you print your Cover Letter, remember to sign it You do not need a signature on an electronic cover letter attached to an You do not need a signature on an electronic cover letter attached to an UNIT 1 LESSON 3 16

Cover Letter Design Block Modified Block UNIT 1 LESSON 3 17

Cover Letter Design Open Punctuation - using few punctuation marks when writing Dear Mr. Jones Sincerely Closed Punctuation - punctuation in which many commas, full stops, etc., are used Dear Mr. Jones: Sincerely, No colon No comma Colon Comma UNIT 1 LESSON 3 18

Sample Cover Letter UNIT 1 LESSON 3 19

Cover Letter If you submit application, resume & cover letter electronically, submit each individual document as an attachment Do not write cover letter in the message Usually a HR support person is responsible for processing applications before forwarding them to the hiring manager The hiring manager might not see cover letter if it is in initial message UNIT 1 LESSON 3 20

Research a Job Before you begin to construct your cover letter, research a job description in explore careers & clusters in Naviance Family Connection Locate a Career that matches your current qualifications UNIT 1 LESSON 3 21

Log-in to Naviance Family Connection Log-in: username: student ID password: last 4 digits of your student ID and the day you were born (xxxx-last four digits of student ID and XX Birthday day) Example: UNIT 1 LESSON 3 22

explore careers & clusters provides students with job descriptions and information about a variety of jobs and career options UNIT 1 LESSON 3 23

Explore Careers & Clusters Open the careers tab Select explore careers & clusters UNIT 1 LESSON 3 24

Career Finder Type career choice in the Search by keyword box UNIT 1 LESSON 3 25

Career Overview Read the Overview, Knowledge & Skills, Tasks & Activities UNIT 1 LESSON 3 26

Review How long should your cover letter be and how many paragraphs should it include? What is the difference between open and closed punctuation? How do you submit a cover letter? UNIT 1 LESSON 3 27

Review How long should your cover letter be and how many paragraphs should it include? 1 page with 3 paragraphs What is the difference between open and closed punctuation? Open has no punctuation and closed includes punctuation How do you submit a cover letter? As an attachment UNIT 1 LESSON 3 28

Complete the Lesson… Write your cover letter using Microsoft Word Have another class member complete the Cover Letter Peer Review for your cover letter and submit with your cover letter UNIT 1 LESSON 3 29