The Basic Cover Letter Layout
Cover letters are used to introduce and support your resume or curriculum vitae. This document has only one purpose – and that purpose is to stir up some interest upon your reader and have them read your attached document which is your resume or curriculum vitae.
Cover letters should be tailored or personalized to fit one specific employer’s needs. This is an important factor if you want to be successful in making your cover letter effective in grabbing your reader’s attention.
A cover letter has 5 important parts. These include:
1.) the heading
2.) the destination
3.) the salutation
4.) the body
5.) the signature
The heading should contain 4 important elements. First would be the date, second would be your full name, third would be your whole address and fourth would be your contact information.
For the first element, include the date on when you wrote your cover letter. For the second – always use your full name when writing it on your cover letter. Never use aliases or nicknames to represent yourself. As for the third element – which is your address, it should contain the following: street name and number, city, state and postcode. Never use a P.O. Box address for your document. For the last element, do not forget to include your home phone number. If possible, also include your personal number which is in most cases is your mobile number. Followed by your personal e-mail address. Keep in mind that your e-mail address should be professional looking as well as professional sounding.
The destination section also has 4 important elements. First is the full name of your contact person, second would be his/her title, third is the name of their company and last would be the full address of the company.
This section requires a bit of work on your part. You need to conduct a bit of research in order for you to get the information you need. The quickest way to do this is to get online and visit the company’s website. Once there, try to look for the company’s contact information to get in touch with them. Next, call their number and try to reach for the HR department and ask for all the necessary information that you might be needing. Sometimes, you could just ask the receptionist directly for all of these information. If ever they ask why you need such information, just tell them that you need it for your cover letter.
The salutation part is easy once you’ve gone through the destination part. Once you know the name and title of your contact person, use it for the salutation. Avoid using general Dear Sir/Madam or To Whom It May Concern salutations. The best way to make your salutation is to use Dear Mr./Ms. followed by the last name of your contact person. Always use Ms. and not Mrs. regardless if they are single or not. If at any case you can’t get a hold of the name of your contact person, use their title for your salutation.
As for the body of your cover letter, this section should contain 3 important parts in form of paragraphs. The first section should be 1 paragraph stating the reason why you are writing the letter to the employer. Clearly state there the real reason why you wrote to them.
The second part should tell your reader about your experience, qualifications, skills, and abilities. This section can be presented in multiple paragraphs. However, as you construct your paragraphs, be sure that you write the sentences concisely and avoid boring walls of text. Use one to two sentences and a maximum of four for each paragraph and a maximum of two to three paragraphs for the whole body of your letter.
For the last section of your letter’s body, use a closing paragraph to politely close and end your letter. Your closing paragraph should contain 3 important elements. The first one is to thank you reader for his or her time for reading your cover letter. The second one is a positive assumption or an open invitation for a possible interview. And lastly, tell them that you have an attachment along with your cover letter.
Like it was mentioned above, thanking your reader is a must. Keep in mind that they still have to go through a lot more cover letters, resumes and/or curriculum vitaes so it is just right for you to thank them for reading yours. Next, be assertive and tell them that you are available for a possible interview to discuss things further with them any time soon. An impression of you being eager to work for them is never a bad thing. For your last sentence, mention to them that you had attached or enclosed your resume or curriculum vitae together with your cover letter so that they could further examine it.
As for the signature, this section should have 3 parts. A closing remark, your full name and signature and lastly, an attachment or enclosure.
End your letter by putting the word/s “sincerely” or “”sincerely yours”. Next, type out your full name but this time you need to include your hand written signature over it. Below your name and signature, write the word “Enclosure” and below it, write down either Resume or Curriculum Vitae depending on which one you had attached to your cover letter.