Writing Professional Letters
a Chance to impress
Stand out to future employers.
Writing professional cover letters throughout your internship and job search indicates effective written communication skills to employers. It is also a way for you to articulate why you are interested in a specific role or organization, and why you are a good fit.
Cover Letters
A cover letter allows you to personalize your application – providing the employer with specific information about your interest in their organization and the position and addressing how you are specifically qualified.
Anatomy of a Good Cover Letter
If nothing else, make sure your cover letter is specific for each job application! Don't have a general form that you use for each job. Instead, tailor it to the position. There is a specific structure for a cover letter. Each section is listed below in order from top to bottom.
1 Header
- Include your return address and the current date in the top left corner of the letter. Do not include your name or telephone number in this section.
- Place the employer’s address at the left margin before the salutation. The inside address includes the name, title, department, and complete address of the organization to whom you are writing.
2 Salutation
- Use "Dear" preceding the individual's first and last name, followed by either a colon (:) or comma (,).
- Don't use Mr., Ms., Miss or Mrs. unless you have seen that title used by the individual.
- Don't use “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” as it will appear you are writing a form letter. If you don't have the name of an individual, use “Dear Human Resources” or the name of the hiring department for the organization. For example, if the hiring department is called People Services, use that; it shows you have done your research.
3 Body
- Can be three to five paragraphs in length depending upon the content.
- Format paragraphs in full block style. The text within each paragraph is single-spaced with double-spacing between each paragraph.
4 Closing
- Aligned with your return address and current date that opened the letter.
- Use a formal closing, like "Sincerely."
- Insert one or two lines and type your full name.
Cover Letter Format
To see what a cover letter should look like, download our sample Cover Letter Format (pdf).
Cover Letter Writing Tips
- One Page: Make sure the letter is only a page in length. Be economical with your words, but still get your point across.
- Nice Paper: If you are printing a hard copy, use a high quality, 8 ½” by 11” bond paper – preferably, the same type as what your resume is printed on.
- Proofread: Proofread each letter for typographical, spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. We recommend you ask others to read your letters for clarity and to check for errors.
- Email Etiquette: In most cases, you may be sending your documents to employers by email. Remember that a professional appearance is important. Be certain that you keep this correspondence professional in manner and follow the same guidelines provided regarding letter content and structure.
Video: The Anatomy of a Killer Cover Letter
Cover letters can be frustrating and even overwhelming to come up with on your own. Learn how to write a solid cover letter so you stand out and impress employers. Watch the Cover Letter Video.
Writing a Cover Letter course from LinkedIn Learning
Conclusion
The purpose of any job search correspondence is to highlight your qualifications and distinguish yourself from your competition. Quality, well-written correspondence can be extremely powerful and demonstrate your written communication skills.