Ask the Experts: How to Write a Cover Letter and Follow-up Thank You Letter
Question:
I will be applying for jobs soon but don’t know how to write a cover letter or a follow-up thank you letter. Where can I find some?
First Answer:
Good luck with your job search. It is smart to get started on your cover letters a head of time.
For more information on cover letters, you can find hundreds of examples for effective cover letters at CareerLab’s 200 Cover Letters site: http://www.careerlab.com/letters/
Here is a link for good thank you letters, too: http://www.careerlab.com/letters/chap13.htm
— Anita Moses, Careers & Education Department, New2USA.com.
Second Answer:
It is my experience that the help offered by the variety of college and university web sites is excellent. Look in the Career Services area of the various sites for help with cover letters, etc.. The numberous web job-sites offer ideas and formats for employment paperwork, as well.
There are large number of books in print that address employment letter writing. These are usually in conjunction with resume writing information.They can be found in libraries, both public and college resource centers.
You may contact a community college career center or your local state employment service for one-on-one help if you desire. Each of these agencies often have staff personnel who specialize in job search assistance.
A final thought, regardless of the resource you choose, write the letter yourself. Avoid the temptation to “borrow” a letter from one of the resources. Using someone else’s style will not help you develop your own skills. Additionally, the letter you struggle with will express you, your ideas and represent you more fully to the reader. So, struggle with your letter till you are satisfied it is the best you can do and mail it. It will never be the “perfect” letter and while striving to make it “perfect” you may lose out on an excellent opportunity.
— Robert C. Resch, Career Center, Triton College.
Third Answer:
There are many great resources you can find in the bookstore, library on the Internet that offer free cover letters, follow-up, and thank you letter samples. Just key “cover letter samples” or “thank you letter samples” into any search engine and you will find lots of information. It’s important to use these as guidelines only. These letters must let YOUR personality shine through and send a subtle message to the reader. They need to portray attitude, interest in the job, follow-through, and good social skills. The cover letter contains information that your resume doesn’t, such as personality, creativity, and work style.
These powerful marketing documents can be the deciding factor whether you get a job offer or not. They are an advertisement of your strongest skills and should send a message to the reader’s brain similar to, “WOW this person is interesting, qualified and could really help save us money and time.”
My point is don’t copy samples you see on the Internet or in career books, write about yourself and why you would like the position. Use the words “I” and “me” and “my” as little as possible … focus on the employer not you. Don’t forget to ask for the interview at the end of your cover letter.
— Candace Davies, Director and Founder of Cando Career Coaching and Resume Writing and All Trades Resume Writing.
