How To Write A Cover Letter

a word processor
a laser printer
quality paper
your resume
the job description as posted by the employer.

Step 1: Basic Info

The cover letter should follow the standard business letter format, starting with your address, the date, skipping a few lines to add the contact info of the employer. Be sure to find out if the person you're writing to is a “Sir” or “Madam.”

Step 2: The Open

Write your first paragraph introducing yourself and the reason for the letter. You are Jane, and you are a Worker, and you are writing in response to this job which you found through…you get the idea.

Step 3: Match Your Qualifications To The Job

The next one or two paragraphs will allude to the job description and how your experience fits it. Believe it or not, but this also demonstrates to the employer how well you are able to communicate your business sense. Are you a professional, or just someone who wants a job?

Step 4: Close It Up

Draw the letter to its conclusion quickly, taking no more time away from the resume which they will have already looked at anyway, and suggest a method for following up, such as a phone call or an email which you will initiate. Type in your salutations, and leave a space to sign before typing in your name.

Step 5: Print & Check

After running the spell checker, print out a hard copy to proofread, and after any revisions are complete, use some nice paper, preferably the same as your resume, for the final laser printout.

Step 6: Talent Signs

Sign your name, and send it away along with your resume.