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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?
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How do I read a job advertisement carefully?Identifying key words is an important aspect of reading job advertisements carefully. Key words are words that signal what an employer considers important or essential in hiring for a position. Look carefully at any words that give you insight into the skills, accomplishments, personality traits, and levels of education and experience your employer desires. Consider this example: A company posts the following job description. Can you identify the key words?
Reading this advertisement for key words would help you see that the employer is looking for a person who is highly motivated, with customer service skills. If you were applying for this position, you would want to stress in your cover letter experiences you have had with customer relations. To help you decide what information to include in your cover letter, you may want to try the following exercise. In the left column below, write the qualifications your potential employer desires, either from your job advertisement or from information you've received from another person. Next, write in the adjacent column proof that you have these qualifications. For example, if your potential employer desires someone who can meet deadlines under pressure, show you have done this in the past.
(Click here for a larger version of this table.) After you have completed the above table, rank each qualification in order of importance. For instance, are leadership skills more important than interpersonal skills? Is a degree more important than work experience? Is computer expertise more important than analytical skills? Once you have identified the most important qualifications (from the left column), be sure to include proof that you have these qualifications (from the right column) in your cover letter. Demonstrating proof of your qualifications will help convince an employer you are the best person for the job. Consider the following example. A job advertisement asks for a candidate who has leadership skills, oral communications skills, and proficiency in Word and Powerpoint. Joseph Smith decides to apply for the position, and he writes the following:
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August 2001
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