Consumer Sciences Career Services Center
Cover Letter / Thank-You Letter
The traditional cover letter has three parts:
- The opening - This is where you explain why you are writing.
- The body - This is where you tell the person about your qualifications.
- The closing - Explain here how you will follow-up the letter.
There are a number of other things you might want to consider in writing a cover letter:
- Be as brief as you can without omitting information. Employers are busy people and can't or won't take the time to read a very long letter.
- Be specific about the position in which you are interested. It is probably not a good idea to say that you are interested in "any opening you may have" or "whatever positions are available".
- If you know someone in the organization or were recommended by someone, mention their name.
- Don't be shy about citing awards, results, or compliments you might have been given.
- Consider mirroring the words the employer used in the job announcement to describe yourself (but don't copy their announcement word for word).
- Check your spelling and grammar, then check them again. Ask a friend to proofread the letter for you. You are applying for a professional job, so you should sound professional. Along the same line, omit personal stories.
- Don't criticize current or past employers.
- Think like an employer. Ask yourself after reading the letter, "Would I hire this person?"
Sample Cover Letters
Sample Thank You Letters
The thank you letter is probably one of the most important tools in a job search, yet it is the least used. The purpose of the thank you letter is to express appreciation and strengthen your chances of job placement. Basically everyone who helps you gets a thank you letter, including contacts for information interviews and those who provided references for you. Remember to send your thank you letter within 24 hours to everyone who interviewed you.
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