Preparing Effective Cover Letters

From the Office of Career Development at the University of Michigan Business School

While the perfect cover letter does not guarantee you an interview, an imperfect cover letter can quite easily remove you from the interviewing process. Even if the letter is only briefly scanned by an interviewer, imperfections can cost you opportunities. Cover letters are an enhancement to your resume which allow you to state your objective, goals and personal fit for a position.

TWO KEY PRINCIPLES FOR WRITING COVER LETTERS

1. BE READER-CENTERED. This means that you work to keep the focus of your paragraph on what you can do for the employer rather than on what the job will do for you. Certainly a good position will provide you with experience, exposure to solving real world problems, and valuable contacts. There is nothing wrong with mentioning what benefits you'll be receiving, but remember the point of your cover letter is to sell your skills and get them interested in you. You'll be much more successful if you write from your reader's point of view.

2. SUPPORT YOUR CLAIMS. The main weakness in most cover letters is unsupported claims. Writers frequently describe their strongest attributes in glowing terms, but fail to give examples or illustrations which lend credibility to the statement. One way to make certain you've supported your statements is to use the "claim, data, warrant" method devised by Stephen Toulmin which provides a way of identifying parts of a written argument. The claim is your statement — your conclusion about yourself. Data is what you use to support that statement, and the warrant is the bridge which connects the two or relates them to each other.

For example, in the sentence, "I am a very responsible person and would do an excellent job for you in this position," you have two claims. The first claim is "very responsible person" and the second is "would do an excellent job," but you have given no data or warrant. This is weak because anyone can say these things about themselves, so the writing is not very persuasive.

Here is an example of how the same idea could be better expressed using data and the warrant:

"I am a very responsible person. For example, when I worked for Jones, Inc., I was put in charge of new customer accounts and, after three months, allowed to work independently of any supervision. Nine months later I was commended on my performance appraisal for being 'diligent, hard-working and responsible.' Because you've indicated responsibility is a key component of this job, I believe I would do an excellent job for you."

Supporting your claims with data and connecting your ideas with warrants makes your cover letter easier to read and more persuasive.

A suggested format to incorporate the previous points follows:

Section 1: Introduction

• State who you are
• Indicate any common acquaintances, referrals, or prior contacts
• Indicate the purpose for your letter

Section 2: Evidence

• Indicate your understanding of the skills/requirements for the position
• Cite examples of where you have displayed the requisite skills

Section 3: Conclusion and Follow-up

• Express appreciation for consideration
• Indicate when you’ll follow-up

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE COVER LETTER

Q. What is the cover letter supposed to do for me?

A. Cover letters and resumes get you interviews and interviews get you jobs. The ideal scenario is for the cover letter to spark enough interest from an employer to get you an interview. In reality, the cover letter does as its name implies - it "covers" your resume. It tells the potential employer what job you are applying for (large corporations have numerous vacancies simultaneously)

This specialized letter should be written in a tone of confidence and focus upon the employer's needs for the job. It should convince the employer that your background, education, experience and personality are worth his/her follow-up in terms of an interview. For this reason, cover letters should be your own personal overview of your skills and qualifications for the position, and not a copy or duplication of a sample form letter. According to several books published on cover letters, employers seem to be able to pick out formulas a mile away, and this could cost you the chance to secure an interview.

Q. How long should a cover letter be?

A. Aim to write a cover letter that is one page long, with three to four paragraphs and ample top and bottom margins. Although there are exceptions (e.g., an experience needs to be described in more detail), in general, a one-page letter with an introduction, a one or two paragraph body, and a conclusion is usually sufficient. Do not expand to two pages.

Q. After sending a cover letter, should I leave it up to the employer to contact me, or vice versa?

A. A week to ten days after sending a cover letter, follow up with a phone call to the employer. In fact, you may wish to mention that you will make this follow up call in the conclusion of your cover letter (e.g., "I will call you in a week to discuss the possibility of interviewing for the job of..."). A follow up call is one important way to show your sincere interest in the job and to learn a little more about the organization.

Q. Is there a correct way to prepare a cover letter?

A. Do not cling to the notion that there is one correct way to write a cover letter and that one cover letter will suffice for any job opening. Research shows that written application materials, such as resumes and cover letters, must follow standard formatting conventions to be taken seriously; however, the content of these written materials should reveal the unique experiences and training of the job applicant that are directly related to the job opening. In a study of how writing influences job recruiters seeking to fill positions in mechanical engineering and marketing, David Charney, Jack Rayman, and Linda Ferreira-Buckley (1992) discovered that recruiters gave higher ratings to applicants who elaborated on relevant work experience and relevant coursework (especially when work experience was limited).

Q. To whom should I send my letter?

A. If it is unclear to whom you should send your letter, contact the company and ask the receptionist or someone in human resources.

COVER LETTER PREPARATION EXERCISES

1. List what you know about the organization that you are contacting regarding a job: products, services, locations (headquarters), growth areas, earnings, values/mission, reputation, community involvement, history, and employees (including University of Michigan Business School graduates and personal contacts).

2. Write a paragraph that describes one of your functional skills (an ability--such as knowing how to write a business plan--that is applicable to a wide variety of tasks). Select a functional skill that is important for the job you are seeking. Include information on how you learned and have successfully used this functional skill in the past.

3. Write a paragraph that describes one of your transferable skills (an ability that could be transferred to the job you are seeking). Include information on how you learned and have successfully used this ability.

4. What is your greatest accomplishment that can be related directly to the needs of the position for which you are applying? Put the idea into a sentence you are sure would impress the employer.

5. Use the notes you have created as the basis for writing the one or two paragraphs that will comprise the body of your cover letter.

TIPS FOR WRITING COVER LETTERS

1. Personalize your cover letters by naming the organization and the specific job you are seeking, by mentioning how you found out about the job and by naming employees with whom you may have contact. This information can be included in your introductory paragraph.

2. Focus the one or two paragraphs in the body of your letter around the one or two abilities or claims about yourself that you think most equip you for the job opening. Fill these paragraphs with personal examples and experiences that prove you possess these abilities or that show your conclusions about yourself are true.

3. Use a traditional letter format. Include your address, phone number, fax number and email address on your resume and cover letter. Also, make sure that the message on your phone answering machine is professional, short and includes your name. If you share a phone, devise a system to insure that you receive your telephone messages.

4. Proofread and spell check all your written application materials. Research shows that recruiters for businesses notice mistakes in grammar and syntax.

5. Match the paper and font style of your resume to your cover letter. (the UMBS resume module uses Palatino font)

6. Keep a copy of every resume and cover letter you send so that you may refer to them later to prepare for interviews and as models you may revise to apply for other jobs.

Follow up as promised!!!