Writing a Cover Letter?

keep it less than a page or nobody is going to touch that shit.

I concur with what Zur and Jacks listed above. A few other recommendations for consideration.

1. Avoid listing an email account with a bizarre or non-professional name (e.g.: bonghit420@youruniversity.com, fastdriver2000@hotmail.com). An email account that uses your name or a combination of your initials is good.

2. If you list a phone number, make sure you check it regularly for messages (in some cases this can literally make the difference between getting an interview and being passed over as someone who is too hard too reach).

3. When listing education (in addition to degree/certs), don't list class names, list the topics covered (e.g. Integral and Differential Calculus, C++ Programming).

4. Do some research on who uses your prospective employers products or services. If you have any experience with their products or services it would be good to mention (lets them know you are at least somewhat familiar with their business). This lets them know that you are serious about the position and are not just "shotgunning" out your resume/letter.

5. If there are any industry standard practices (ISO quality standards etc.), software packages, or other tools that are likely to be used by the employer that you have experience with make sure to mention them.

6. Triple check the cover letter and resume's spelling. Have other people read your letter to insure that you haven't maid any obvious grammatical errors as I've not done here. Little details like these get "stuck" in interviewers/raters mind's


If you get an interview, here are some other recommendations. I've had the opportunity to sit in on a number of interviews seeking to fill positions (full time and student internships) where I work. Some of the items that I found most attractive in prospective coworkers/employees/interns:

1. Present a positive attitude!! If you mention negative situations (difficult coworker interactions, problems during team projects in school, past negative employment actions) be prepared to follow-up with what you learned from that experience.

2. Employers like people who demonstrate the ability to learn new skills and adapt to changes. Although it may not be the right thing to list on your cover letter I'd recommend having a couple of examples ready of situations where you solved some sort of project or problem that required learning how to use a new skill/tool/process/knowledge resource (new software program, how to utilize some industry standard or information database).

3. Have some medium-to-long term goals (that could generally be related to work) ready to list in case you are asked (the fact that you are interested in pursuing your master's degree would be a good one to mention as it relates back to item #2 above).

4. If asked about personal information (marriage status, children, finances, hobbies) be very careful about what you mention. Even though I don't think any employer can legally use some of that information to deny you employment, it can subconsciously "color" their impression of you. (e.g. a casual, or even joking, statement that that you "are a swinging single who parties hard, and stays out late,... but you always make it work on time" would almost assuredly make you look less desirable compared to another equally qualified candidate who did not mention anything like that). Assume that they will google your name to see what shows up!

5. Speak clearly, don't mumble, and go ahead and ask clarifying questions if you are not quite sure what they have asked you (it is kind of embarrassing to realize that you've spent the last three minutes answering the wrong question).

Much of the above is probably obvious and may not be applicable to many positions, but I hope it at least gives you some other "stuff" to consider.

Good Luck!

If you'd like, I can PM you a Cover Letter I used to get a job I just got a month ago in engineering.

Try starting you letter with a hook, maybe how much you would like to work in your field (or sub-field). Don't be afraid to say things like "as a prospective/future/potential employee at XXXX, I intend to make the most out of blablabla".

Don't get discouraged; even getting an internship can be difficult. Everyone wants and expects experience from a college student. I even had companies asking me for work experience out of my freshmen year, when at that level all I had learned was basic calculus and physics. (I'm studying Electrical Engineering).

Try highlighting anything you have done previously relevant (in your case, lab work or any large projects/multidisciplinary projects) and pimp that shit out.

What I found was for every 30 or so companies you apply to, maybe 5 will respond and maybe 1 or 2 will give you a phone interview. Recruiters are also very rude (not to your face, but in the background); if they do not want you after an interview they won't even send you a generic email saying "sorry, but no". Being a little pushy and calling companies you have applied to and asking to speak to HR or asking for an update is a good way to show you are interested. They will also try and contact you at any given time, so try not to miss that phone call and reply to them as soon as you can. Basically you have to be their phone bitch for a bit.

Also, while I had a "generic" format to my cover letters, I reworded bits and pieces for each company depending on their field of work. If they were into power systems, I told them I was into it. Electronics? Sure thing. Programming? You bet that's my passion. Remember, you can always change jobs, but landing that first job or internship in the field will lat least prove to future employers that you are capable of working, and you can always say that your passion is renewed for what they work in. It is always nice having something to show for on your resume.

Keeping it short and to the point while briefly highlighting my particular talents in relation to their requirements has usually worked for me (having a kick-ass resume also helps, of course. )

Here's a (somewhat generic) cover letter I sent along with my resume to a small mobile tech company that was looking for a technical director before the new year. I decided to counter-offer my services as a high-level technical consultant, as I have much more experience in all of the relevant fields than was required (plus, who wants to be a mid-level technical manager? Not this guy.)



Senior management contacted me and requested I come in for an interview almost immediately. After the second interview they offered me a long-term consultancy. I politely declined; by then, a more lucrative opportunity had presented itself.

Keep it short, to-the-point, and relevant, and you'll do just fine. Try to present your resume in an equally-attractive (short and well-structured) fashion. Bonus points for leaving all correspondence open-ended; sometimes you can land a much higher-level position (or even create one - a consultancy) with minimal effort if you're simply not too afraid to ask for/offer yourself for it.

Don't start with "I am writing to you..." cos that's so bloody obvious

Put the other person 1st, then start talking about what you have to offer.

Big-Al said:

Don't start with "I am writing to you..." cos that's so bloody obvious

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In practice it makes little difference.

It sounds good, but there's a few small structural things you should change just to neaten it up a bit.

Dear xxxxxxx Robotics,

It is with the utmost pleasure and enthusiasm that I submit my letter of intent along with my most current resume. I am seeking an entry-level technician position. An internship is also possible. You will see from the following details and my attached resume that I have focused and planned my course in education to carefully shape my career in this direction.

I am currently a student at Truckee Meadows Community College. I’ve taken several courses of both biology and chemistry, and I am finishing up my coursework with the intention of transferring to the University of Nevada, Reno to complete their accelerated biochemistry/biotechnology Masters Program. I'm a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society for outstanding academic achievement and I currently hold a 3.98 GPA. My skills include training in BSL 1 & 2 conditions, and I have gained experience working with many organic lab procedures and lab equipment in the organic lab at my college. I am self-motivated and personable with great communication skills, and I highly enjoy working with others. I am seeking to find work in a field where I can apply my education and begin building my career.

Your consideration regarding my employment would be greatly appreciated. I will do whatever it takes for not only the continued success with xxxxxxx Robotics, but also to gain the most from the experience of working with xxxxxxx Robotics. I believe work experience that correlates with education is always a win-win situation.

Sincerely,
Tyler Perry

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Unless you are only gunning for an internship (don't) I would consider leaving out the academic stats and appending them to the 'Education' and/or 'Skills' sections of your resume instead; most employers care very little about your GPA or honors. The important thing is that you can actually do the work in the position you're applying for. Highlighting skills that are practical in relation to the field (such as BSL training) is good, but most employers will expect someone applying for a position in such a field to have that training anyways (might go better in the 'Skills' section.) Just something to consider.