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The guidance covers when to send a cover letter, what a strong letter should include, and how to keep tone formal, concise, and confident. 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Therefore, there isn’t a“one size fits all” cover letter. A cover letter is also a reflection of your writing skills, so take time and care to proofread and review your document. It needs to be specific to the organization and position—a generic cover letter will not help you.  \nSEND A COVER LETTER WHEN:  \n• Applying through Go IRISH or another online database and the employer has requested it  \n• Responding to a job posting via direct mail or email  \n• Sending a response to a referral from a friend or acquaintance  \nGUIDELINES  \nA COVER LETTER SHOULD BE:  \n• Formal, polished, and grammatically correct  \n• Precise, concise, cordial, and confident  \n• Written in the active voice  \n• Varied in sentence structure—don’t begin all sentences with “I”  \n• Printed on the same type of paper as your resume  \n• Targeted to the needs of the company and requirements of the position  \n• A way of connecting the job description with your resume and skills  \nADDRESS COVER LETTERS TO A SPECIFIC PERSON  \nIf you do not have a contact name:  \n• Investigate the company website and other online resources for contacts and addresses  \n• Call the company and request the name of the person responsible for hiring college graduates in your career area  \n• If all efforts fail, use a proper salutation such as “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Hiring Manager”  \nADDITIONAL TIPS  \n• A cover letter is not a repetition of the wording on your resume  \n• When sending a resume via email, follow the cover letter format to introduce your attached resume and write the cover letter in the body of the email (do not include the addresses and the date)  \n• Include the position/job title and your full name in the subject line for cover letters sent via email  \n• Use the term “Enclosure” or “Enclosures” only if sending hard copies of documents  \n• The font and formatting of your cover letter should match the font and formatting of your resume  \nCONTENT  \nFIRST PARAGRAPH- “WHY THEM?”  \n• States WHY you are writing  \n-Responding to an advertised opening  \n-Inquiring about a possible opening  \n• States WHY you are applying to, or are interested in, this employer  \n-Company’s training program  \n-Company’s product or service  \n-Demonstrate your company research  \n• Mention your contact/referral if you have one  \nSECOND PARAGRAPH- “WHY YOU?”  \n• States WHAT qualifications you bring to the position  \n• Highlights two or three experiences or academic achievements that directly relate to the qualifications the employer is seeking  \n• Proves through examples of experiences and activities that you have key skills for the position—i.e., leadership, communication, problem-solving ability, and analytical skills  \n• May close with a summary sentence of your qualificationsand a confident statement that you can make a contribution to the organization  \nTHIRD PARAGRAPH- “NEXT STEPS”  \n• States WHAT you WANT—an interview or an opportunity to further discuss your qualifications and employment opportunities  \n• May reference your enclosed or attached resume  \n• Thanks the person and indicates that you look forward to speaking to or meeting with him/her, but indicates flexibility as to time and place  \n• Optional: Can state that you will call the contact person at a certain time/day to discuss scheduling a meeting or an interview  \nSee Sample Cover Letters on the following pages.  \nSchedule an appointment for a resume or cover letter review online at [undergradcareers.nd.edu](undergradcareers.nd.edu).  \nPOSITION DESCRIPTION  \nChart your course for success in a fast-paced learning environment and get set to become a top-performing account manager in the group insurance segment of the employee benefits industry.  \nHighly motivated and results driven recent grads and early-career professionals will experience on-the-job and classroom training, coaching and mentoring as part of CIGNA Group ","cbCaihnZHsnpxKU0","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihnZHsnpxKU0","pdf",136175,"English","# Cover Letters\n## When to Send a Cover Letter\n## Guidelines for a Strong Cover Letter\n## Addressing the Recipient\n## Additional Tips\n## Cover Letter Structure\n## Sample Cover Letters","[{\"question\":\"When should you send a cover letter?\",\"answer\":\"Send a cover letter when applying through an online database with a request from the employer, responding to a job posting by mail or email, or replying to a referral from someone you know.\"},{\"question\":\"What qualities should a cover letter have?\",\"answer\":\"A cover letter should be formal, polished, grammatically correct, precise and concise, cordial and confident, written in the active voice, and targeted to the company’s needs and the role’s requirements.\"},{\"question\":\"How should the body of a cover letter be structured?\",\"answer\":\"Use three paragraphs: the first explains “why them” and why you’re interested in that employer; the second explains “why you” by matching qualifications with relevant experiences; the third outlines “next steps,” requesting an interview or further discussion and thanking the recipient.\"}]","Cover Letters - Guidelines and Sample Content | PDF",1789278284]