Transition Services: Communications | Cover Letters

• Match the type font and format of your resume
• Date
• Include contact information: a professional email address (not your work) and phone number
• Employer name and location
• Job Title and posting identification

• Use: Dear Selection Committee, Dear Hiring Manager, or (best) the Name of Hiring Manager
• Avoid: Dear Sir or Madam, To Whom It May Concern, or leaving it out altogether

Why are you writing?

• Tell them why you are interested in the position.
• What makes you unique for the position and what value do you bring? 

This can be a paragraph, or bulleted examples (preferred) describing how your qualifications match the requirements of the job. Be sure to: 

• Match your qualifications with the position requirements.
• Include relevant, specific quantified achievements.
• Use action verbs and keywords.
• Respond to both the stated and implied requirements in the posting. What does it take to be successful in the job?

A great way to analyze the job posting and to organize how you match the required qualifications is to: 

1. Highlight the items that you want to address.
2. Create a table with two columns, one for the required qualifications, and one for your matching experience. Excel works great for this.
3. Add your experience to the cover letter (it is not necessary to repeat the job requirements) in the second paragraph where you want to specify how you match the employer's requirements.

Note:  Requirements are usually prioritized, so be sure to address the first 3-4.

Summarize what you bring to the job and restate your interest. Always thank the prospective employer for taking the time to review your qualifications. 

• Use a professional email address that includes your name or part of your name such as J.Smith@gmail.com(link sends e-mail). If you are currently employed, do not use your work phone number or email address, a nickname, or a humorous email. 
• In the subject line, write the title and job number of the position you are applying for and add your first initial and last name. Ie: Subject: Operations Manager #12345 - J. Smith 
• Keep your message brief if attaching a resume and cover letter. Note: Save your cover letter and resume as PDF to retain the formatting as an attachment. 
• You may also upload your cover letter to the body of the email and if instructed, attach your resume as a PDF file. In this case, the email itself acts as your cover letter. 
• Include an email signature with your contact information consisting of your name, email address, and telephone number. Optional: add the URL of your LinkedIn profile. 
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Send a test email to yourself first to check and see if the formatting works and if the attachments open. 

• AI requirements: You may be required to send a text (.txt) version of your cover letter and resume if the employer is using an automated reader or if the employer does not accept PDF attachments.