KCKCC Career Services offers one-on-one guidance and assistance creating, updating or revising cover letters to go with a resume. Cover letters are a chance to explain in writing why you are a good fit for a position. They serve as a sample of writing skills, helps to highlight other skills and abilities that best match the job to which you are applying, and can help increase chances of being interviewed.
Resume and cover letter workshops are also available throughout the semester. A resume and cover letter guide is also available in Handshake - in the app, go to Account → Career Center → Resources.
Students that already have a rough draft of a cover letter are encouraged to email it to career services for proofing and suggestions.
Formatting
- Start with the same name/contact information from the resume, so the documents look like a matching set.
- Address it to a specific person whenever possible, otherwise, address it to Human Resources or the hiring manager.
- Formal letter – Use a colon after the greeting and end with a closing and signature line (do not need to sign if sending electronically).
- Be concise – Should never go over one page.
- Proofread! Double check that the correct employer information is listed and have at least one other person proofread before submitting.
- Save as a PDF before sending/uploading.
- Tailor the cover letter to fit each position that is applied for. It may be mostly the same for similar types of positions, with minor updates needed.
Contents/Paragraphs
Heading
Use same heading for resume, cover letter and references page to maintain consistency.
Date
Complete Title
Address of Employer
Greeting
Whenever possible, address specific person who will be reviewing the application by name.
Opening Paragraph
Write about what position you are applying for, how you heard about it, and that you have included your resume, filled out online applications, or completed other application instructions. If referred by someone in the company, this is the place to say it. Add a sentence that summarizes why you are a great fit for the position, and perhaps a sentence that praises the organization or tells why you want to join their team.
Middle Paragraph(s)
The second paragraph goes into more detail about why you make a good candidate. “Sell” yourself to the employer. The areas to focus on are education/training, professional experience, skills and other professional qualities or abilities that make you a good fit for the position. It doesn't have to be every detail of school and work history, just enough so they want to meet you for an interview. Refer to the job description to make sure that what you are talking about matches up well with what they are looking for. Use keywords when possible.
If your education and experience turn into a long paragraph, consider using an extra paragraph to discuss professional qualities and skills such as teamwork, effective communication, time management, leadership or other things that help you excel in the new role. This is also good for additional experience from athletics, community organizations, etc. that doesn't seem to fit well with your work experience. Try to end your "selling" paragraph(s) with a sentence that ties it all together again - similar to the summary statement in the first paragraph.
Closing Paragraph
The third paragraph is where to ask for an interview. Ask the employer to contact you, offer to provide additional information, and thank them for their time. Your contact information should be at the top of the page, so you don’t need to list it here again.
Signature
- Closing examples: Sincerely, Regards, Best, Best regard, or Kind regards, etc.
- Followed by your written name (don't need to actually sign it if uploading or emailing it)
Things to Avoid
- Drawing attention to lack of experience/skills, keep it positive and energetic, focus on why you are a great fit.
- Copying the resume – Summarize skills and experience, and tie in to professional strengths that may be difficult to add to a resume, such as passion for the industry, dedication to a company, ability to learn quickly, or other strengths.
- Talking about things that are not on the resume or related to the position.
- A cover letter that is longer than one page.