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Individualize:
There are similar elements to job seach letters, but each letter should be individually tailored and targeted to the recipient. There is no such thing as an effective "form letter" in a job search. You know when you get a form letter in the mail; a prospective employer knows too. A letter that looks like it could have been randomly sent to any employer is a good candidate for the employer's "no" pile.
Make your purpose clear:
Don't make an employer guess why you are writing or what you are writing about. In choosing your words, think about the purpose of your letter and details of your individual circumstances. For example, if you make a telephone call to an employer prior to sending a cover letter, it makes sense for your letter to refer to the telephone call. If you must respond to an employer's letter to you, read the letter carefully to draft an appropriate response.
Edit:
Grammar, spelling and punctuation should be error-free; wording should be clear, concise and business-like; avoid gimmicky language and slang terms.
Be yourself:
Be your formal, business-like self, but express yourself in a manner that is natural to you. Avoid too much borrowing of language from sample letters and friends' letters. Excessively flowery language or using complicated words won't make you sound smarter; it will make you sound silly. Use good examples as inspiration, but don't copy.
Record-keeping:
Retain a copy of every letter you send, including e-mail; mark your calendar for any appropriate follow-up.
For print (hard copy) correspondence:
Paper:
Use 8 1/2 by 11 inch, good quality paper; preferably the same paper as used for your resume. Particularly for your resume, make sure you choose paper which produces clean photocopies. Some papers with flecks make hazy copies.
Print:
Produce laser quality print; choose a proportionally spaced font, rather than an evenly spaced font. You may choose either serif type (like Times New Roman) or sans serif type (like Arial).
Folding vs. large envelopes:
A one-page cover letter and a one-page resume (appropriate for 98.6% of undergraduates) can be folded, but it's a nice touch to use a larger flat envelope so your letter and resume don't have to be folded. By all means, if you're sending other things the employer requested (transcripts, application forms, etc.) and/or you're a Ph.D. candidate with a four-page C.V., don't try to cram it all into a small envelope.
There are similar elements to job seach letters, but each letter should be individually tailored and targeted to the recipient. There is no such thing as an effective "form letter" in a job search. You know when you get a form letter in the mail; a prospective employer knows too. A letter that looks like it could have been randomly sent to any employer is a good candidate for the employer's "no" pile.
Make your purpose clear:
Don't make an employer guess why you are writing or what you are writing about. In choosing your words, think about the purpose of your letter and details of your individual circumstances. For example, if you make a telephone call to an employer prior to sending a cover letter, it makes sense for your letter to refer to the telephone call. If you must respond to an employer's letter to you, read the letter carefully to draft an appropriate response.
Edit:
Grammar, spelling and punctuation should be error-free; wording should be clear, concise and business-like; avoid gimmicky language and slang terms.
Be yourself:
Be your formal, business-like self, but express yourself in a manner that is natural to you. Avoid too much borrowing of language from sample letters and friends' letters. Excessively flowery language or using complicated words won't make you sound smarter; it will make you sound silly. Use good examples as inspiration, but don't copy.
Record-keeping:
Retain a copy of every letter you send, including e-mail; mark your calendar for any appropriate follow-up.
For print (hard copy) correspondence:
Paper:
Use 8 1/2 by 11 inch, good quality paper; preferably the same paper as used for your resume. Particularly for your resume, make sure you choose paper which produces clean photocopies. Some papers with flecks make hazy copies.
Print:
Produce laser quality print; choose a proportionally spaced font, rather than an evenly spaced font. You may choose either serif type (like Times New Roman) or sans serif type (like Arial).
Folding vs. large envelopes:
A one-page cover letter and a one-page resume (appropriate for 98.6% of undergraduates) can be folded, but it's a nice touch to use a larger flat envelope so your letter and resume don't have to be folded. By all means, if you're sending other things the employer requested (transcripts, application forms, etc.) and/or you're a Ph.D. candidate with a four-page C.V., don't try to cram it all into a small envelope.
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