Career Services - Cover Letters - A Guide for First-time and Experienced Job Seekers

Sep 13, 2026

A practical guide for first-time and experienced job seekers to craft persuasive cover letters that support a resume and create a strong first impression. It explains what a cover letter should accomplish, provides clear cover letter style and accuracy guidance, and offers a complete format for organizing introduction, “why” and descriptive paragraphs, plus closing and signature details. It also lists self-descriptive words and action verbs, and gives step-by-step guidance for obtaining references, including sample inquiry and follow-up letters.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

What does it do?

Cover Letter Guidelines

Cover Letter Format

Description Words

Guidelines for Obtaining References

Letter of Inquiry

After the Interview

After You Receive an Offer

Sample Cover Letters

Sample Letter of Inquiry

Sample Thank-you Letter

Sample Letter to Decline an Offer

Career Services Cover Letters A Guide for First-time and Experienced Job Seekers What does it do? • Cover Letter Guidelines • Paragraph One • Paragraph Two • Paragraph Three • The Rest of the Letter • Description Words • Guidelines for Obtaining References • Letter of Inquiry • After the Interview • After You Receive an Offer • Sample Letters Table of Contents What does it do? . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cover Letter Guidelines . . . . . . . . . 3 Cover Letter Format . . . . . . . . . 4 Description Words . . . . . . . . . 5 Guidelines for Obtaining References . . . . . . . 6 Letter of Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . 7 After the Interview . . . . . . . . . 8 After You Receive an Offer . . . . . . . . 8 Sample Cover Letters . . . . . . . . . 9-13 Sample Letter of Inquiry . . . . . . . . . 14 Sample Thank-you Letter. . . . . . . . . 15 Sample Letter to Decline an Offer . . . . . . . 16 WHAT DOES IT DO? a. Identifies the position for which you are applying and how you learned of it. b. Indicates why you are applying. c. Describes how your skills match the position requirements. d. Provides affect – an affective portrait of you – and subliminal reasons why they should interview you. e. Requests information on next steps and repeats availability, phone, email. COVER LETTER GUIDELINES Style □ Targeted: Be specific. If possible, indicate a special reason for wanting to work for that particular employer. Discuss your interest and skills for the industry or career field □ Persuasive: The letter should be problem-solving oriented referring to how you can meet the employer or job needs rather than simply listing accomplishments or your desires □ Tone: Be clear and concise. The letter should expand upon the resume and add personal flavor. Give the impression of confidence, but not conceit. It is best not to be clever or cute, but you may choose to be creative, depending on the type of employer to whom you wish to appeal. □ Accuracy: Use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. Make certain there are not mistakes. Have career counselors and/or individuals you know critique your letters. Appearance □ Individualized: Address the letter to an individual rather than to Dear Sir/Madam whenever possible. Call to get a contact if one is not known. This is important for follow-up. You should follow-up your letter with a phone call to confirm that it arrived and to demonstrate continued interest. □ Paragraphs: Be brief; keep them short enough to encourage reading. □ Paper: Use high quality bond paper with matching envelopes. □ Print: Type or laser-print your letter using block or semi-block basic letter styles. The page should be well-balanced. □ Signature: Remember to sign your letter. Note: There has been a dramatic increase of letters and resumes sent through email and the web application sites. Regardless of the communication mode being used, strong letters will produce a positive first impression. Students who send exceptional letters, on paper or electronically, are noticed and strongly considered for opportunities. COVER LETTER FORMAT Your Address Date Contact Person Title Department Employer’s Name Address Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr. (Contact Person): Paragraph One: Introduction □ Brief □ Mention exact source of job information □ Upbeat and confident tone Paragraph Two: The Why Paragraph □ Mention three reasons why you are qualified for the job (cross-reference with your resume) □ All three points must awaken employer’s curiosity □ Prioritize three points strategically (weakest second) □ Keep tempo of the sentence fast and smooth Paragraph Three: The Descriptive Paragraph □ Choose strongest point from previous paragraph and provide in-depth description □ Use quantifiables □ Add information of interest NOT on the resume The Rest ofthe Letter: Who are you? □ Commit a fourth paragraph to some punchy things about yourself-the affective portrait. Make

FAQs

What should a cover letter do to support a job application?

It identifies the position and how you learned about it, explains why you are applying, connects your skills to the role requirements, and requests information about next steps while repeating availability and contact details.

What are the key guidelines for writing an effective cover letter?

The guide recommends a targeted, persuasive, clear and concise tone with correct grammar and spelling, plus an individualized address when possible and brief paragraphs that encourage reading.

How should references be obtained and handled during the job search?

Obtain permission before listing anyone as a reference and understand what the reference will be asked to provide; following the stated steps supports and protects the work done in the search.

Sep 13, 2026

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