[nabs-l] cover letters

[Greg Aikens]

Hi Gloria,
I just wanted to add   a little to Kaiti's solid advice.  I am by no means an expert in this area, but I have written quite a few of these for grad school applications, scholarships, and most recently applying for my first full time job out of college.  This last time around something clicked and I feel like I did a much better job than earlier attempts.  I consulted many online resources and my advice is a conglomoration from a number of them.  The one I found to be the most helpful was ASk a manager, http://www.askamanager.org/category/cover-letters
Check it out.  I hope it is useful.  Forgive me if I say the same thing they do on the site.  Like I said, I drew a lot from it.  

Keep in mind the purpose of a cover letter when you are writing it.  Your cover letter should add color and flavor to your resume.  Where as a resume is a dry list of facts, a cover letter can let your personality show through.  A cover letter should showcase your written communication skills.  It should be very short.  I recommend writing a draft with everything you want to say and then boiling it down to the essentials.  Take out basically meaningless words like "very" and really."  Use active verbs where possible instead of is/are/be etc.  For example, the sentence, "I am a student at Vanderbilt University in the education program," could be tweaked by writing, "I study education at Vanderbilt University."  It may seem like a small difference in length, but do that for every sentence and you can reduce your length quite a bit, giving you more room to discuss the important stuff or just generally making it easier and shorter to read.  

aS far as form of your letter:  Start the letter with a sentence explaining why you are writing.  I am applying for the position… etc.  If you were referred by someone familiar to the company or person reading the letter, its ok to note that in the first paragraph too.  I then give a brief synopsis of why I am a good candidate for whatever position, scholarship, graduate program.  Limit it to a sentence, hinting toward what is to come.  

In the following paragraphs, outline your key qualities/personality traits/experiences you have had that make you ideal for the position.  Be sure to link each item you mention back to how it qualifies you for the position.  Listing your good qualities isn't bragging as long as you explain why it is relevant.  For this reason, recycling cover letters isn't always appropriate.  The things you talk about will be directly related to the demands of the job/program etc.  Think hard about this section.  Often you can't include every single thing in your life that makes you a good candidate.  Pick the best ones and then polish them.  

End the letter by thanking them for their time and how you are looking forward to further communication.  If it is a job application, its ok to express your eagerness to work for their company and why.  

Overall, be genuine, professional, and show your personality.  

Feel free to ask more questions.  I would also be willing to edit a cover letter if you would like.  

Best of luck,
Greg Aikens
On Feb 5, 2013, at 3:15 PM, Kaiti Shelton <crazy4clarinet104 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> A cover letter is much like a business letter.  The one's I've written
> have used business letter format for headings and punctuation in the
> salutation.  The body should discuss why you would be good for the
> job, your good qualities, and give a little backbone to your resume,
> (I'm assuming this cover letter you're writing will accompany a
> resume).  Remember to be polite and formal and it always helps to
> thank the person for taking the time to read your letter or consider
> your application at the end.  That's how I've always been required to
> write it.  Hope this helps.
> 
> On 2/5/13, Gloria G <gloria.graves at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers on how to write a
>> cover letter? I have never had to write one before and was just wondering
>> what the format and basics of what should go into a cover letter were.
>> Thanks
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> -- 
> Kaiti
> 
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