EMPLOYMENT TIPS

Writing Cover Letters

"When writing a cover letter, ALWAYS ... "

April 2008

Write simply and clearly. Get to the point and write a focus letter. A letter should be one page or less. Each paragraph should contain three to four sentences. First paragraph – why you are writing. Second paragraph – what you have to offer. Third and concluding paragraph – how you will follow up. Send a cover letter with every resume.
Spell check and carefully proofread. Ask another reader to review your correspondence before sending it.
Review other letter samples. This will help you to develop a format and ideas on how you will construct your cover letter.
Sign your cover letters.
Keep copies of all your employment letters.

Use a form letter and send it to every potential employer.
Have any grammatical or spelling errors.
Use a sample letter – you must personalize your letter and tailor it to the job and company.
A utomatically send your letter to the human resource department. Address it to the person who can hire you. Be sure the name and title are correct.

For more information about Cleveland Sight Center's Williams Career Development Department, contact Deb Fox at (216) 791-8118, x251. Contact Williams Career Development Department via email.