Craft Your Cover Letter

Cover letter is targeted to a specific job or field

• Cover letter is targeted to a specific job posting
• Cover letter uses keywords, experiences and skills found in the job posting
• Cover letter describes 2-3 specific achievements relevant to the job duties described in the job posting

Letter includes candidate interest in the job

• Cover letter mentions at least once, preferably in the introduction, why student is interested in this specific job or company/organization
• If switching careers: Cover letter summarizes reasoning behind change

Cover letter is concise and free of extraneous information with no spelling or grammatical errors

• Spelling and grammar are correct
• Cover letter does not include negative language

Conclusion indicates gratitude and scheduling information

• Cover letter concludes with:
  • a statement of thanks
  • a salutation and signature
  • any pertinent details about further communication or time-frames in the last paragraph

Body paragraphs contain 2-3 examples that detail individual work experiences, rather than describing general job duties

• Body paragraphs contain 2-3 examples that detail individual work experiences, rather than describing general job duties
• At least one example describes how job candidate uses code or other technical skills to develop a product or solve a problem
• At least one example showcases job candidate's work ethic, communication skills, teamwork and leadership abilities

Cover letter meets industry formatting standards

• Cover letter is one page and concise
• Cover letter project is submitted in .pdf format
• Cover letter ranges around 4-5 paragraphs
• Cover letter is dated correctly (includes day, month, & year in whichever order)
• Cover letter is addressed to the hiring manager or hiring team of the organization or company
• Cover letter heading clearly provides contact information, at minimum email and phone number. It's recommended to include the same heading information as the resume

Cover letter style is clean and organized, allowing the reader to easily digest the information

• All text is aligned to left axis or justified
• There are no inconsistencies in font color, type or size; margin-size; spacing; and formatting in general
• Cover letter is written with a professional font
• Font size is between 10-12 pt