Cover Letters for Job Applications

Most commonly, cover letters are used to introduce the resume when applying to a job posting or job advertisement that might be found on the web-based job board, newspaper advertisement, trade magazine or other list of classified ad’s.

Although networking is probably one of the best ways to find a new job, it is much more common for job seekers to browse job advertisements such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com, hotjobs.com, local newspapers and employment offices. This section provides a help guide for specifically writing cover letter in response to a job posting.

Anytime you apply for jobs from either the newspaper, Internet job boards, or even internally through your current employer, it is good business etiquette to include a cover letter during the job application process.

What to include in the cover letter:

1.  Your name and contact information at the top of the cover letter. It is ideal to use the same heading as the resume for purposes of consistency.

2. Today’s date and the name of the contact person at the company and their job title, if this information is available.

3. The name of the company and company address

The greeting should be Dear Mr./Ms. XXXXXXX. If you do not know the name of the contact person, then the cover letter should be addressed to the Title, such as Dear Human Resources Manager or Dear Hiring Manager. In worse case scenario, it is safe to introduce the cover letter to the Human Resources Manager, even if you are unsure of the title. You can use “To Whom it May Concern,” but it is ideal to address the cover letter in a more formal manner.

The first paragraph should be an introduction and should include your intention to apply for the job, the job title, internal job ID or job number if specified, and the company name. You should also include the date of the job posting and the name of the resource where the job is posted (Newspaper name, job board) with the name of the resource written in italics.

The body of the cover letter can include a number of items, but ideally you want to provide an over description of your career, experience and ability to perform the tasks involved in the job position. Try to address requirements that are listed in the job position and directly respond to these requirements within the cover letter. The cover letter should also mention your enclosure or attachment (if emailed) of the resume and should either invite the reader to contact you or state your intentions to contact the employer. The salutation should simply read — Sincerely, followed by your name with 4 spaces in between. Your written signature should go between the salutation and your name if you are submitting a printed copy.