A cover letter is a formal letter often submitted with a resume to employers when applying for a job. The letter serves as an introduction to your resume and it allows for you to elaborate on your qualifications and experience.
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind when writing your cover letter:
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| Left: Sample cover letter Right: Sample resume |
- Use the standard Times New Roman font with 12 point font size.
- Keep your cover letter brief and simple as seen with the sample cover letter above.
- Address the letter to a specific individual. If you can not find a name, use a job title instead (Example: Dear Director of Human Resources).
- Be confident, creative, and enthusiastic. This is where you want your personality to shine.
- Spell check and proofread your letter for errors.
- Review cover letter samples to get ideas on how to format and write your cover letter.
Here are some reliable resources that will help you write a proper cover letter:
- Optimal Resume at The College of Westchester allows you to build your cover letter, resume, and portfolio online.
- Here are a variety of cover letter formats to adopt in during your writing process.
- Here are some sample cover letters to review and help you with your cover letter.
- These sample cover letters focus on a variety of fields including business services, banking & investment, financial services, healthcare, and marketing.
Lastly, The College of Westchester Library has several books on career planning as well as resume and cover letter writing. Here are sample books you might want to browse through the next time you visit the Library:
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| Left: Cover Letter Magic Center: The Complete Book of Resumes Right: Dynamic Cover Letters |
