Mr. James G. Webb
Delon Hampton & Associates
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 720
Washington, DC 20001-8000
webb@delon.com

Dear Mr. Webb:

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me last Tuesday. It was very helpful to me to learn so much about the current projects of Delon Hampton & Associates and the career paths of several of your staff. I appreciate your reviewing my portfolio and encouraging my career plans. I also enjoyed meeting Beth Ormond, and am glad to have her suggestions on how I can make the most productive use of my last semester in college.

Based on what I learned from my visit to your firm and other research I have done, I am very interested in being considered for employment with your firm in the future. I will be available to begin work after I graduate in May 2010. As you saw from my portfolio, I have developed strong skills in the area of historical documentation and this is a good match for the types of projects in which your firm specializes. I have enclosed a copy of my resume to serve as a reminder of my background, some of which I discussed with you when we met.

During the next few months I will stay in contact with you in hopes that there may be an opportunity to join your firm. Thank you again for your generous help.

Sincerely,
Kristin Walker
23 Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1123
KWalker@vt.edu

January 12, 2006

Ms. Sylvia Range
Special Programs Assistant
Marion County Family Court Wilderness Challenge
303 Center Street
Marion, VA 24560

Dear Ms. Range:

I am a junior at Virginia Tech, working toward my bachelor’s degree in family and child development. I am seeking an internship for this summer 2006, and while researching opportunities in the field of criminal justice and law, I found that your program works with juvenile delinquents. I am writing to inquire about possible internship opportunities with the Marion County Family Court Wilderness Challenge.

My work background and coursework have supplied me with many skills and an understanding of dealing with the adolescent community; for example:

• I worked as a hotline assistant for a local intervention center. I counseled teenagers about personal concerns and referred them, when necessary, to appropriate professional services for additional help.

• I have been active at my university as a resident hall assistant, which requires me to establish rapport with fifty residents and advise them on personal matters, as well as university policies. In addition, I develop social and educational programs and activities each semester for up to 200 participants.

My enclosed resume provides additional details about my background.

I will be in the Marion area during my Spring break, March 6 – March 10.  I will call you next week to see if it would be possible to meet with you in early March to discuss your program.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Stacy Lee Gimble

Encl.

Mr. Robert Burns
President, Template Division
MEGATEK Corporation
9845 Technical Way
Arlington, VA 22207
burns@megatek.com

Dear Mr. Burns:

I learned of MEGATEK through online research using the CareerSearch database through Career Services at Virginia Tech where I am completing my Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. From my research on your web site, I believe there would be a good fit between my skills and interests and your needs. I am interested in a software engineering position upon completion of my degree in May 2008.

As a graduate student, I am one of six members on a software development team where we are writing a computer aided aircraft design program for NASA. My responsibilities include designing, coding, and testing of a graphical portion of the program which requires the use of GIARO for graphics input and output. I have a strong background in computer aided design, software development, and engineering, and believe that these skills would benefit the designing and manufacturing aspects of Template software.  Enclosed is my resume which further outlines my qualifications.

My qualifications make me well suited to the projects areas in which your division of MEGATEK is expanding efforts.  I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss a position with you, and will contact you in a week or ten days to answer any questions you may have and to see if you need any other information from me such as a company application form or transcripts.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
William Stevens
123 Ascot Lane
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-2556
WStevens@vt.edu

Resume attached as MS Word document

Ms. Charlene Prince
Director of Personnel
Large National Bank Corporation
Roanoke, VA 24040
cprince@largebank.com

Dear Ms. Prince:

As I indicated in our telephone conversation yesterday, I would like to apply for the marketing research position you advertised in the March 12th edition of the Roanoke Times and World News. With my undergraduate research background, my training in psychology and sociology, and my work experience, I believe I could make a valuable contribution to Large National Bank Corporation in this position.

In May I will complete my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. As part of the requirements for this degree, I am involved in a senior marketing research project that has given me experience interviewing and surveying research subjects and assisting with the analysis of the data collected. I also have completed a course in statistics and research methods.

In addition to academic work, my experience also includes working part-time as a bookkeeper in a small independent bookstore with an annual budget of approximately $150,000.  Because of the small size of this business, I have been exposed to and participated in most aspects of managing a business, including advertising and marketing.  As the bookkeeper, I produced monthly sales reports that allow the owner/buyer to project seasonal inventory needs. I also assisted with the development of ideas for special promotional events and calculated book sales proceeds after each event in order to evaluate its success.

I believe that the combination of my business experience and social science research training is well-suited to the marketing research position you described.  I have enclosed a copy of my resume with additional information about my qualifications.  Thank you for your consideration.  I look forward to receiving your reply.

Sincerely,
Jessica Lawrence
250 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1234
jessica.lawrence@vt.edu

Resume text included in email below and attached as MS Word document

Mr. James G. Webb
Delon Hampton & Associates
800 K Street, N.W., Suite 720
Washington, DC 20001-8000
webb@delon.com

Dear Mr. Webb:

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me last Tuesday. It was very helpful to me to learn so much about the current projects of Delon Hampton & Associates and the career paths of several of your staff. I appreciate your reviewing my portfolio and encouraging my career plans. I also enjoyed meeting Beth Ormond, and am glad to have her suggestions on how I can make the most productive use of my last semester in college.

Based on what I learned from my visit to your firm and other research I have done, I am very interested in being considered for employment with your firm in the future. I will be available to begin work after I graduate in May 2010. As you saw from my portfolio, I have developed strong skills in the area of historical documentation and this is a good match for the types of projects in which your firm specializes. I have enclosed a copy of my resume to serve as a reminder of my background, some of which I discussed with you when we met.

During the next few months I will stay in contact with you in hopes that there may be an opportunity to join your firm. Thank you again for your generous help.

Sincerely,
Kristin Walker
23 Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 555-1123
KWalker@vt.edu

February 22, 2007

Dr. Michael Jr. Rhodes
Principal, Wolftrap Elementary School
1205 Beulah Road
Vienna, VA 22182

Dear Dr. Rhodes:

I enjoyed our conversation on February 18th at the Family and Child Development seminar on teaching young children and appreciated your personal input about helping children attend school for the first time.  This letter is to follow-up about the Fourth Grade Teacher position as discussed at the seminar.  I will be completing my Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Child Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Education at Virginia Tech in May of 2007, and will be available for employment at that time.

The teacher preparation program at Virginia Tech includes a full academic year of student teaching. Last semester I taught second grade and this semester, fourth grade. These valuable experiences have afforded me the opportunity to:

• develop lesson plans on a wide range of topics and varying levels of academic ability,
• work with emotionally and physically challenged students in a total inclusion program,
• observe and participate in effective classroom management approaches,
• assist with parent-teacher conferences, and
• complete In-Service sessions on diversity, math and reading skills, and community relations.

Through my early childhood education courses I have had the opportunity to work in a private day care facility, Rainbow Riders Childcare Center, and in Virginia Tech’s Child Development Laboratory.  Both these facilities are NAEYC accredited and adhere to the highest standards.  At both locations, my responsibilities included leading small and large group activities, helping with lunches and snacks, and implementing appropriate activities.  Both experiences also provided me with extensive exposure to the implementation of developmentally appropriate activities and materials.

I look forward to putting my knowledge and experience into practice in the public school system. Next week I will be in Vienna, and I plan to call you then to answer any questions that you may have.  I can be reached before then at (540) 555-7670.  Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
(handwritten signature)
Donna Harrington

Enclosure

Month, Day, Year

Mr./Ms./Dr. FirstName LastName
Title
Name of Organization
Street or P. O. Box Address
City, State Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. LastName:

Opening paragraph: State why you are writing; how you learned of the organization or position, and basic information about yourself.

2nd paragraph: Tell why you are interested in the employer or type of work the employer does (Simply stating that you are interested does not tell why, and can sound like a form letter). Demonstrate that you know enough about the employer or position to relate your background to the employer or position. Mention specific qualifications which make you a good fit for the employer’s needs. This is an opportunity to explain in more detail relevant items in your resume. Refer to the fact that your resume is enclosed. Mention other enclosures if such are required to apply for a position.

3rd paragraph: Indicate that you would like the opportunity to interview for a position or to talk with the employer to learn more about their opportunities or hiring plans. State what you will do to follow up, such as telephone the employer within two weeks. If you will be in the employer’s location and could offer to schedule a visit, indicate when. State that you would be glad to provide the employer with any additional information needed. Thank the employer for her/his consideration.

Sincerely,

(Your handwritten signature)

Your name typed

Enclosure(s) (refers to resume, etc.)

(Note: the contents of your letter might best be arranged into four paragraphs. Consider what you need to say and use good writing style. See the following examples for variations in organization and layout.)

Source:career.vt.edu

Advertise your unique qualifications
that no one else can offer by writing an effective cover letter!

Make yourself stand out
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Get your foot in the door
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To mail or not to mail, that is the question!
Be the exception, not the rule! Most employers get bombarded with a ton of email cover letters with attached resumes. If you really want to stand out, mail your prospective boss a cover letter and resume by snail mail—three days to the pile on his desk will be better than a forgotten folder in his hard drive!

Use a font that is will attract the reader’s eye!
Studies have shown that serif fonts such as Georgia or Times New Roman are easier to read in hard copy than a sans serif font such as Arial. The serif font uses small horizontal lines and flourishes that carry the eye along and make the text easier to read than the rigid vertical lines of a sans serif font.

Address the potential employer personally!
Find out the name of the person who is accepting resumes for the job you want. Create a more favorable impression by using his or her own name in your cover letter, rather than using an impersonal greeting such as ‘To Whom It May Concern.’ When addressing a woman, it is safer to use ‘Ms.’ rather than ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs.’ When addressing a man, use ‘Mr.’ with no nicknames. Use a comma after the greeting, and make sure all names are spelled correctly!

Examples:

Dear Ms. Thomas-Bentley,

Dear Mr. Benson,

State which position you want and how you heard about it.
A large company may be hiring in several departments at once. In your cover letter, briefly state which position you are interested in and how you found out about it.

Example:

I am responding to your ad in the Daily Herald for an editor/proofreader.

Describe your most important qualifications—briefly!
Your resume should give your work history and qualifications in some detail. In your cover letter, briefly mention only the qualifications that are most impressive and pertain exactly to the job opening. Indented bullets or numbered lists of three or five items of fairly equal length are easy to read and show your qualifications at a glance.

Example:

I am the ideal candidate for this position because I have:

1. Three years experience as a proofreader/editor

2. A bachelor’s degree in English, summa cum laude

3. Strong English skills in grammar and composition

Alternate Method! You can accomplish the same purpose in your cover letter with a well-worded sentence and not be restricted to making each item in your list a similar length.

Example:

I am the ideal candidate for this position because I not only have three years of experience as a professional proofreader, but I also have strong skills in every aspect of English grammar and composition, having graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English.

Offer to provide an impressive reference.
Rather than just offering your personal assurance of your high qualifications, mention someone with impressive credentials who has provided you with a positive reference in the past and who would be willing to do so again. If this is the first time you will be asking for a reference from someone, make sure you run the idea by them first before you use their name in your cover letter!

Example:

I also edited 36 articles that became two professional journals published by the university. Dr. Linda Hendricks, Chair of the Linguistics Dept., hired me and supervised both projects. She would be happy to provide you with a strong reference on my behalf.

Express your eagerness to meet with the reader.
Now that you have peaked the reader’s interest, don’t overdue it! Use your cover letter only as an overture to gain an interview.

Example:

I would be happy to meet with you at your convenience and answer any questions you might have.

Don’t forget your contact information!
End with your phone number and email address so that the reader can choose the method that is most convenient. Mail your cover letter, using both a typed and hand-written signature. Enclose your resume.

Example:

Sincerely,

Janice Morton

Janice Morton

Enclosures

(555) 555-6954

Final Tips for the Perfect Cover Letter:
Make sure both your spelling and grammar construction are letter perfect! Don’t ignore error signals from your word processing program such as green or red underlining. Right click and find out what the problem is. If you do decide to send your resume by email attachment, make sure you send it in the predominant Microsoft® Word format to avoid conversion problems on the receiving end.

Afterwards: Don’t forget to follow up!
Call in three days and ask if your letter and resume were received. If so, ask if you could schedule an interview. If not, call back!

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Source:writeexpress.com