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The material outlines when to use application, initiating contact, and networking letters, and provides practical writing guidance such as addressing a specific individual, staying concise, using “I” sparingly, and answering why an employer should interview the applicant. 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A cover letter is a document submitted with a job application explaining the applicant’s credentials and interest in the open position. Many employers assess a candidate’s professionalism, writing skills, and motivation to work at their organization based on the cover letter submitted. Generic letters (those not tailored to a specific position) are not effective! The tips below will help you to write a letter that is both concise and compelling – one that will prompt the employer to review your resume. Once you have a cover letter drafted, you can schedule an appointment with a Career Coach to get their input on the effectiveness of your letter. To schedule, log into Handshake.  \nApplicable Career Communities:   \nThere are three basic types of cover letters. An application letter is used to respond to a job posting. An initiating contact letter is used to put yourself into consideration for an opening that has not been advertised but is likely to occur. A networking letter is used to generate an informational interview. See the Informational Interviewing tip sheet if you are not familiar with informational interviews.  \nWhen constructing your cover letter, be sure to: address it to a specific individual; sound confident, without being arrogant; keep it to one page; and use the “I” pronoun sparingly. (Using “I” and other personal pronouns repetitively can leave the employer with a negative impression—they will question your writing skills, and possibly view you as someone oriented toward self. ) And, when preparing application and initiating contact letters, you need to answer the question: “Why should we interview you?”  \nSample cover letters are provided at the end of this document. You can also view collections of sample cover letters that provide pointers on adjusting text in relation to industry norms at the following websites:  \n[https://www.theguardian.com/careers/series/cv-and](https://www.theguardian.com/careers/series/cv-and)cover-letter-examples  \n[https://www.thebalancecareers.com/best-cover](https://www.thebalancecareers.com/best-cover)letters-a-z-list-of-examples-2060172  \nCover letters are often attached to an e-mail, uploaded with an online application, or pasted into a text box within an online system . Therefore, you can choose to omit a signature and just type your name. If you want to create a digital signature, sign your name on a piece of paper, scan it, and then insert that image into your document. Even though this seems time consuming, if you take the time to do it just once, you’ll be able to use that signature over and over for many different purposes. Stop by Career Success during walk-in hours to have a Peer Career Coach help you create a digital signature.  \nTips Specific to Application and Initiating Contact Letters  \nTo write an effective cover letter you need to 1) claim a key qualification that relates to the employer’s needs, 2) provide details about the qualification you claim to have, and 3) mention other aspects of your background and/or career interests that will help the employer evaluate how you would “fit” with their organization.  \nParagraph One: Indicate why you are writing and include compelling information. You can achieve this by claiming a qualification that is integral to the position.  \nParagraph Two: Talk about yourself in a focused way. Describe your relevant qualifications (e.g. , education, experience, skills) and how they relate to the position.  \nParagraph Three: Talk about the employer. Show the employer what you know about their company and how your career goals relate to their mission. This paragraph should prompt the employer to think, “This candidate seems like a great fit! Let’s bring him/her in for an interview to learn more.”  \nLast Paragraph: Make a request that will lead to the employer learning more about your qualifications.  \nFor instance, you can encourage them to reviewskill endor","cbCaihLcBt6H5cW0","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihLcBt6H5cW0","pdf",292161,6,"English","# What is a cover letter?\n## Types of cover letters\n# Writing guidance\n## Key construction principles\n## Paragraph structure\n# Tone and resources\n# Email etiquette for cover letters","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of a cover letter in a job application?\",\"answer\":\"A cover letter is submitted with a job application to explain the applicant’s credentials and interest in the open position. Many employers use it to judge professionalism, writing skills, and motivation.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the three basic types of cover letters?\",\"answer\":\"An application letter responds to a job posting, an initiating contact letter targets an unadvertised but likely opening, and a networking letter aims to generate an informational interview.\"},{\"question\":\"How should an effective cover letter be structured and what should it include?\",\"answer\":\"It should claim a key qualification tied to the employer’s needs, provide details supporting that qualification, and include other background or career interests that show “fit.” It typically follows an opening paragraph explaining why you are writing, a focused paragraph about your relevant qualifications, a paragraph about the employer, and a final paragraph requesting next steps such as an interview.\"}]","Communicating with Employers - Writing Cover Letters | PDF"]