What is a cover letter?

What should I include in my cover letter?

How can I learn what will impress prospective employers?

How do I read a job advertisement carefully?

How can I learn what my qualifications are?

What if I don't have a qualification the employer is seeking?

Why is it important to learn about companies before preparing my cover letter?

How do I format my cover letter?

How do I organize my cover letter?

What do I include in my heading?

To whom should I address my letter?

What do I write in my introduction?

How do I approach writing my argument?

What should I include in my argument?

In my argument, should I show off my knowledge of the company?

What do I include in my closing?

Is there anything I should do before sending my cover letter to potential employers?

Why is it important to learn about companies before preparing my cover letter?

Learning about companies is valuable because knowing what a company values will help you prepare your cover letter. Job applicants often find that their personal attributes match what a company values; when this occurs, you should highlight these attributes in your cover letter.

For example, you may find that a company values creativity, making its hiring professionals more likely to hire creative job applicants. If you were applying to this company, it would be advisable to include in your cover letter proof of your creativity.

There are several things you can do to learn more about a company:

• Read a corporate website.
• Call the company for more information.
• Talk to employees at the company.
• If you are in college, refer to your university's career center.

CORPORATE WEBSITES

It is important to read corporate websites because they can give you a strong idea of what a company values. Once you have found the site, read its contents carefully. Look for words that describe the company and its employees, such as progressive, energetic, caring, or conservative. Words repeated throughout the website reveal particularly important values.

If you do not know a corporation's web address, you can use as a search engine such as google.com or yahoo.com to find the site. Type the name of the company into the search engine, and it should take you to the appropriate site.

CALLING THE COMPANY

For corporations that do not have websites, it would be best to call the company to ask for more information. Explain that you plan to apply for a job there, and you want to know more about the company. Most contacts will be more than happy to provide you with information such as brochures and letters. In these documents, look for words that reveal what is important to a company, in the same way that you would for a corporate website.

It is also a good idea to talk with employees of a company to develop an understanding of what kinds of people the company employs. You may want to call someone you know at a company, or even someone you don't know. Ask your family, friends, colleagues, and teachers if they know someone at the company. If they do, you can use this connection to learn more about the company.

CAREER CENTERS

If you are in college, it would be worthwhile to see what information is available at your university's career center. Ask the employees there if they know anything about the company you're interested in, and see if the university has any connections to this company. For example, companies often visit career fairs that may be held in your town. A career center should have this information.