Career Services, University of Manitoba

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2 Table of Contents Cover Letter Components... 2 Cover Letter Tips... 3 Sending Your Cover Letter via Cover Letter Samples

3 The purpose of the cover letter is to pique the employer s interest and to introduce your resume. The cover letter should highlight the skills you possess which are most important to the employer. It should be focused on what you can do for the employer, not what they can do for you. The bottom line is you want to make it as easy as possible for the employer to get the information they are looking for. Cover Letter Components Personal Letterhead Include your name and contact information in the same format as on your resume Date Include the date you are writing the cover letter Contact Person and Company Name Write the name of the contact person you are applying to if you don t have the name, it is best to contact the organization and ask! If you are unable to find the name of the person who does the hiring, opt for something like: Hiring Manager, Human Resources or Selection Committee Include the Company Name (and department, if relevant) Address to the Person Begin with: Dear (for example, Dear Mr. Smith) If you do not have the hiring manager s name, call to find out. If you are not able to find it, you can use more general terms: for example, Dear Hiring/Human Resources Manager Introduction Indicate why you are writing to them (job posting, article, career fair, networking contact, area of interest) Include the job posting number or reference number, if there is one Mention why you want to work for the company or what interests you about the position Demonstrate knowledge of the organization Body Sell the skills & abilities you have as required for the position (be careful not to reiterate your entire resume) be strategic! Back skills up with specific examples demonstrate! State why you would be a good fit Mention skills that make you unique or that make you stand out which are related to the job Close Thank them for considering your application Request an interview or meeting and indicate how you can be contacted If you are seeking job opportunities in the hidden job market, it is strongly recommended you indicate how and when you will contact the employer in order to follow up 2

4 Cover Letter Tips Always send a cover letter with your resume Should be addressed to a specific person never use To whom it may concern Should be typed and on same paper as your resume and using the same font and style Should be attractive, well laid out, and kept to one page concise is better! Write a different cover letter for each job you apply for nothing is worse than a form cover letter Construct your cover letter thinking about what that particular employer is looking for, by using the job posting or company information use their language Sending Your Cover Letter (and Resume) Via Preparing your cover letter to be ed, scanned or posted on the Internet will maximize your job search opportunities, but there are significant differences that you need to consider: When ing your application, make the process as simple as possible. Ensure that you follow the instructions provided on the job posting. If there is no specific process listed (aside from the option to your application), use the following guidelines. Saving your documents Use one of the two most common file types to save and attach your application either a Microsoft Word or PDF file. If you have created separate MS Word or PDF documents for your cover letter and your resumé, combine them to make one attachment. It can be frustrating to open separate windows to view and print both documents. When combining the cover letter and resumé into one document, the first page to appear will be the cover letter followed by the resumé pages. Save your attachment as your first initial & last name, along with position title/competition number if relevant. (e.g. JSmith-CustomerService-Competition98702.doc). When using MS Word, use common fonts listed previously in this document. Insert page breaks at the end of each page to resolve overlap due to hidden returns in your document. If you do not, what you created and printed off may look very different to what is opened and printed from the reader s computer. If you are able to do so, we recommend saving your documents as a PDF, which will ensure that the formatting on the document that is received by the employer is the same as the one you transmitted. You may want to send both a Word (using the lowest version of Word with a.doc extension) and PDF format. Preparing the Clearly indicate in the subject heading the purpose of your (e.g. RE: Customer Service Application, Competition # 34567). In the body text of the , provide a short message to the employer, indicating what he/she should find attached and to which position(s) you are applying. Uploading Your Cover Letter When ing or mailing an application to an organization that will scan your cover letter into a database, you will need to send your documents as plain text files. Similarly, when cutting and pasting your cover letter into an online application form, you should be pasting in plain text format. 3

5 Plain text is a standard, common text language that allows different word processing applications to read and display the same text information. Although it is not as aesthetically pleasing, having a well-formatted plain text cover letter is strongly recommended. To Create your plain text Use common or popular word processing applications (Microsoft Word, WordPerfect/Notepad) Remove all formatting (bold, italics, lines, bullets, tabs) Add characters to highlight skills (Suitable ASCII characters would be dashes [ ], asterisks [*] and arrows [>]) or use the following as substitutes: Instead of bullets, consider using asterisks [*] or plus signs [+] at the beginning of lines Instead of using lines, consider using a series of dashes to separate sections Instead of using bold text, consider using capital letters or use asterisks to surround text In short, any character that can be found on your keyboard can be used Text should be left justified Use standard fonts and avoid decorative graphics Convert the text to 10-point Courier or other fixed-width font Set the page width to 4-3/4 and limit line lengths to 80 characters or less Save the document as a text file (.txt) Remember to proofread and test all versions of your resume before you send it to an employer! 4

6 Cover Letter Samples 128 Oakbluff Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3L 1C9 June 12, 20XX Human Resource Manager City of Winnipeg Recreation Department 398 Main Street Winnipeg, MB R4L 2X9 Dear Human Resource Manager: I am applying for the position of Recreation Technician, position # 129AB2, as advertised recently on your website. The outstanding reputation of the City of Winnipeg s recreation programs is well known through out the city and I am very interested in being a part of this exciting recreation team this summer. I am currently attending the University of Manitoba in my 3 rd year of the Bachelor of Science program in Kinesiology. My courses have been focused on children s recreation, movement education and child development through physical activities. In addition, I currently work as a childcare assistant and am involved in planning and organizing daily activities. In my role at the daycare, I work closely with other daycare professional to create a positive and fun environment for the children. My volunteer experiences have included working with teens and helping them develop active and healthy lifestyles and positive self esteem. I have the qualifications and skills that are a great match for this position. I look forward to meeting with you in an interview to further discuss this exciting opportunity. I can be reached at (555) or by at NicoleKidman@ .com. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Nicole Kidman 5

7 Lyle Luxton 44 Swifton Way Winnipeg, MB R3B 3A5 September 30, 2009 Mr. Michael DeSafey Sequence Systems 2008 Opportunity Drive Futures, Manitoba R30 0E0 Dear Mr. DeSafey: I wish to apply for the Civil Engineer Land Development position as advertised on your company website. I am aware that Sequence Systems is an established engineering consulting firm that has a solid reputation within the area of land development across Western Canada. Please allow me to highlight my skills as they relate to your stated requirements: Your Requirements My Experience Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering with a EIT registration Recent grad with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and registered as EIT Civil Engineering experience in Land Development Experienced in land development Projects during two summers, worked on detailed drawings, performed engineering calculations, tracked project requirements and timelines. Experienced with the design of residential, commercial, light industrial, roadway and infrastructure development projects. Completed courses directly related to infrastructure and construction design, transportation and highway pavement design including project work. I feel that the combination of my education, work experience and willingness to learn will allow me to make a major contribution to Sequence Systems. I look forward to the opportunity to further discuss this position with you in an interview. I can be reached at (555) Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Lyle Luxton 6

8 Bill Zooman 966 Whatever Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3H 2Z4, (204) , September 10, 2005 Ms. Florence Carlyle Personnel Manager Department of Fisheries and Oceans # West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 4N5 Dear Ms. Carlyle, I have heard about the Marine Environmental Technologist opening at your organization through Dr. Richmond, Director of Natural Resources at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg. As Dr. Richmond described it, the position requirements and my qualifications seem to match up perfectly. I recently graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology. With a strong interest in fish biology and management, I have taken numerous courses in these areas. I have gained practical experience in this field through summer employment with Oak Hammock Marsh as an interpreter. As a Research Assistant with Waterworks International, I was responsible for the completion of a comprehensive inventory of common fish and the development of a field identification manual. I am familiar with the techniques and equipment used for sampling vertebrates as well as using a digital camera for cataloguing samples. My colleagues and professors would describe me as punctual, reliable and detail oriented. I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to meeting with you an interview. I can be reached at (555) or by at billzooman@ .com. Thank you for your time and consideration. Regards, Bill Zooman 7