Tips for Creating Superior Cover Letters

Source: From Michael Farr's Online Get a Job Workshop. Used with permission of JIST Publishing, Inc.

Write to someone in particular.
NEVER send a cover letter "To whom it may concern" or use some other impersonal opening. We all get enough junk mail and if you don't send your letter to someone by name, it will be treated like junk mail.

Make absolutely no errors.
One way to offend people quickly is to misspell their name or use an incorrect title. If there is any question, call and verify the correct spelling of the name and other details before you send the letter. Also review your letters carefully to be sure that they do not contain any typographical, grammatical, or other errors.

Personalize your content.
I've never been impressed by form letters of any kind and you should not use them. Those computer-generated letters that automatically insert your name never fool anyone and I find cover letters done this way a bit offensive. While I know that some resume and cover letter books recommend that you send out lots of these "broadcast letters" to people you don't know, I suggest that doing so is a waste of time and money. If you can't personalize your letter in some way, don't send it.

Present a good appearance.
Your contacts with prospective employers should always be professional. Buy good quality stationery and matching envelopes. The standard 8 1/2-by-ll-inch paper size is typically used but you can also use the smaller "Monarch" size paper with matching envelopes, too. Use only good quality paper—I prefer white, ivory, or light beige-colored paper. A typewriter with excellent type quality or a word processor with letter quality or laser output (not poor quality dot-matrix) is a must in most cases.

Use an appropriate format.
Any standard business correspondence format is acceptable.

Provide a friendly opening.
Begin your letter with a reminder of any prior contacts and the reason for your correspondence now.

Target your skills and experiences.
To do this well, you must know something about the organization or person with whom you are dealing. Present any relevant background that may be of particular interest to the person you are writing.

Define the next step.
Don't close your letter without clearly identifying what you will do next. I do not recommend that you simply leave it up to the employer to contact you, since that really doesn't guarantee a response. Close on a positive note and let them know you desire further contact with them and their organization.