COVER LETTER UNIT 1 LESSON 3

Transcription

1 1 COVER LETTER Naviance Family Connection

2 2 Learning Outcomes Students will examine the guidelines and elements of a good cover letter and will write a cover letter.

3 3 Lesson Tasks Review cover letter tips and suggestions Review sample Cover letters Research a job using Career Clusters in Naviance Family Connection Draft Cover Letter

4 4 Cover Letter A typical hiring manager does not read cover letter before the application They generally spend 10 to 15 seconds scanning your application If they like what they see, they will read more

5 5 Cover Letter A cover letter should focus on company s needs and how you meet their needs reflect your understanding of the company & its needs point out how your knowledge and skills fill those needs

6 6 Cover Letter Tips Biggest mistake mass producing your resume & cover letter sending resume & cover letter to hundreds of employers Employers receive numerous cover letters, resumes and applications daily They do not have time to thoroughly read every letter, resume and application

7 7 Cover Letter Tips Your cover letter should be specific and personal Research & identify the hiring manager Typically found on their website in the About Us section You can also call the company s Human Resources Department Make sure it their name & title are spelled correctly Use their title, address, address & telephone number on the letter This allows you to send the letter directly to them

8 8 Cover Letter Tips Keep cover letter to one page Your Cover Letter must include: Your address and the date the letter was written The name and address of the person to whom the letter is being sent A salutation (Dear :) The body of the letter A complimentary close and signature A title of respect, such as Dr., Mr., or Ms. A return address and zip code Can also include reference initials, enclosure notifications (such as your resume), copy and postscript

9 9 Cover Letter Format Return Address Design cover letter to look like Personal Contact Information section of resume This will make cover letter look like a piece of customized stationery It also brands all of your documents and looks professional Sally Smith Avenue Anytown, Washington sssmith@gmail.com

10 10 Addressing Rules Write all street numbers ten and under as ordinals. Example: 7753 First Street 2593 Tenth Avenue Separate all street number over 10 with a hyphen and drop the th, rd, st, or nd from the street number. Example: Street Avenue

11 11 Addressing Rules Spell out words such as: Road, Place, Boulevard, Drive, Street, Avenue Spell single directions out in full: North, South, East, and West. Use two letters for combination directions: NE, SW, NW, SE Apartment, Room, Space, or Suite numbers follow the street address; Apartment may be abbreviated to Apt. Example: Place East, Apt. 43-B 8973 Lexington Avenue, Suite 303A Boulevard West, Room Hammond Drive, Space 445

12 12 Addressing Rules Put one space between the two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code. Example: Everett, WA Everett, WA Use the two-letter abbreviation for the state typed in caps and without spaces and or periods. Example: WA not Wa. or Wash. Parts of a letter address may include: Name Charlie Jeno, President Name of Company Jeno s Pizza Company Street Address 2392 Fourth Avenue SE City, State and ZIP Everett, WA 98203

13 13 Cover Letter Format Introduction Paragraph The first paragraph of cover letter should tell employer why you are writing Identify the position and the company Indicate how you learned about the position Request the employer s consideration Introduce basic information about yourself

14 14 Cover Letter Format Qualification Paragraph - It is your opportunity to sell yourself Answer these questions in this paragraph: What can you do for the company? How do you benefit them? Briefly state 3 to 4 related skills & qualifications for the position & highlight how they can benefit by hiring you

15 15 Cover Letter Format Conclusion Paragraph In this paragraph, state your next step to move the process forward Refer the reader to your enclosed resume Reiterate your interest in the position Specify how you will follow up Example: I will contact you next week to schedule an in-person meeting or see if you have any questions or need additional information Always follow through on what you say you will do

16 16 Closing Closing - Always end the correspondence with Sincerely as the closing; anything else would be unprofessional If you print your Cover Letter, remember to sign it You do not need a signature on an electronic cover letter attached to an

17 17 Cover Letter Design Block Modified Block

18 18 Cover Letter Design Open Punctuation - using few punctuation marks when writing Dear Mr. Jones Sincerely No colon No comma Closed Punctuation - punctuation in which many commas, full stops, etc., are used Dear Mr. Jones: Sincerely, Comma Colon

19 19 Sample Cover Letter

20 20 Cover Letter If you submit application, resume & cover letter electronically, submit each individual document as an attachment Do not write cover letter in the message Usually a HR support person is responsible for processing applications before forwarding them to the hiring manager The hiring manager might not see cover letter if it is in initial message

21 21 Research a Job Before you begin to construct your cover letter, research a job description in explore careers & clusters in Naviance Family Connection Locate a Career that matches your current qualifications

22 22 Log-in to Naviance Family Connection Log-in: username: student ID password: last 4 digits of your student ID and the day you were born (xxxx-last four digits of student ID and XX Birthday day) Example:

23 23 explore careers & clusters provides students with job descriptions and information about a variety of jobs and career options

24 24 Explore Careers & Clusters Open the careers tab Select explore careers & clusters

25 25 Career Finder Type career choice in the Search by keyword box

26 26 Career Overview Read the Overview, Knowledge & Skills, Tasks & Activities

27 27 Review How long should your cover letter be and how many paragraphs should it include? What is the difference between open and closed punctuation? How do you submit a cover letter?

28 28 Review How long should your cover letter be and how many paragraphs should it include? 1 page with 3 paragraphs What is the difference between open and closed punctuation? Open has no punctuation and closed includes punctuation How do you submit a cover letter? As an attachment

29 29 Complete the Lesson Write your cover letter using Microsoft Word Have another class member complete the Cover Letter Peer Review for your cover letter and submit with your cover letter