WRITING EFFECTIVE COVER LETTERS
A cover letter is a short, business-style letter that introduces you to prospective employers. It is often the first contact you will have with employers, and helps form their first impression of you and your qualifications. A professional-looking, informative, error-free cover letter will set a positive tone for the employer’s review of your resume and credentials. It plays a significant role in convincing a potential employer to grant you an interview. A cover letter that simply states, “Hi!, I’d like a job, here’s my resume” serves little purpose. A cover letter that has noticeable errors, spelling mistakes, typos or poor grammar gets your resume placed at the bottom of the pile and will probably prevent you from getting an interview.
Take the time to write, proofread and edit your cover letter carefully! Purpose
A cover letter should accomplish the following: Introduce who you are (1L, 2L, 3L, graduate) and what you are asking for: a summer associate position, a clerkship, an interview; Highlight two or three features of your resume -- past employment, academic honors or achievements, or skills -- that you want the reader to focus on; Emphasize your strengths and abilities; Add relevant information that is not on your resume, such as relevant coursework, or a position that you have not started yet but will have completed before your employment commences; When appropriate, indicate your reasons for geographical preference if not apparent from your resume; Serve as a short writing sample – an example of your ability to write well and effectively in an organized fashion; Highlight how your credentials match the employer’s needs.
Format
In all cases, a cover letter should be written in general business letter style on good quality bond stationary with envelopes to match. (Note: the paper should match your resume paper.) One page containing three to four paragraphs is usually sufficient. The nature of the position and the relevance of your work, school, and other experiences will influence your decision about how long a letter should be.
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Addresses
Your address on the letter should contain three lines: a two-line address and the date. Do not include your name or telephone number in the address section of the letter. Whenever possible, your cover letter should be addressed to a specific individual, such as the hiring attorney, recruitment administrator, alumni, or intern coordinator. Letters addressed to “hiring partner” or “Sir or Madam” simply don’t have the same impact. You may also contact a firm or organization and ask to whom you should address the cover letter (unless instructed by the job listing not to call). When addressing a letter to an attorney, address it __________, Esq. Your salutation should be addressed to Ms. or Mr.; never use first names. When addressing a judge, the salutation should address him or her as “Judge” or “Justice,” as appropriate. Please see the Appendix for proper forms of addressing letters to judges. In the employer’s address, include the individual’s name and title and the full name and address of the organization. You should spell the name of the state in full, instead of using postal abbreviations. If you have trouble identifying a person to whom resumes should be addressed, talk to OCS to get ideas.
Introduction
In the introduction of the letter, you should clearly state who you are, the position for which you are applying and why you are writing that particular employer. If someone gives you a contact name, address it to that contact and mention the person who referred you. For example, “Mr./Mrs. [ ] suggested that I contact you regarding...” Also, discuss your reason for wanting to work in that particular city if your geographical ties are not evident from your resume.
Body of the Letter
A cover letter should be concise; it is not a catalog of all of your experience or a discussion of your personal strengths or weaknesses; rather, it is a brief introduction to you and your qualifications. It should be tailored to the employer as much as possible, demonstrating the relationship between the organization’s work and your experience or career interests. If it is too early in your law school career to have several substantial legal positions to talk about, you may discuss one or two prior job or academic experiences if you think they are relevant to the kind of work you would perform at that organization. Do not pad your cover letter with every course and activity you have undertaken; stay focused on a few highlights. You can go into greater detail during an interview. Do not discuss your personal weaknesses and flaws in the cover letter, avoid sounding negative, and try not to use qualifying statements such as “Although my grades went down this term” or “While I do not have an extensive legal background.” Be positive! Your cover letter should encourage employers to call you for an interview. If there are negative circumstances to overcome, address them during the interview. There is no absolute “correct” content or style to cover letters. You should, however, think about the intended recipient for each letter when you consider what to include or highlight in your letter. Try to avoid cover letters that read like generic form letters. Law firms tend to prefer short, business-like letters. For judges, who often review hundreds of applications at a time, being brief and concise is essential. However, many public interest employers like
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cover letters that reflect something about the applicant’s personality and commitment to using their legal career to promote the public interest. You should talk with an OCS counselor about the best style and content for the employers to which you are applying.
Concluding Paragraph
In this section, indicate the enclosures you included with the letter, i.e., your resume, writing sample, transcript, etc. Thank the firm, organization, agency, or other employer for its consideration. State that you look forward to hearing from them; you may also mention your desire to be interviewed. If you are applying to an organization outside the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, and you will be in the organization’s city during school break or at another time, indicate when you would be available for an interview.
Closing
The closing should be lined up with your address and consistent in tone with a formal business letter. “Very truly yours” or “Sincerely yours” are generally the most appropriate closings. Close letters to judges with “Respectfully” or “Respectfully yours.” Skip four spaces after the closing and type your full name. After typing your name in the closing, skip two spaces and type “Enclosure” if only your resume accompanies the cover letter or “Enclosures” if other documents are enclosed as well. Sign each cover letter and send the original to the employer. Do not staple your cover letter to your resume. Please see the Appendix for helpful phrases to use when writing your letter and sample cover letters.
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PREPARING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME
Purpose
The main purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. Your resume conveys who you are and what you have done. It also demonstrates your ability as a writer. Spend the time and effort needed to create a resume that: Highlights the academic and work-related experiences that make you a qualified applicant; Demonstrates your additional skills, achievements, personal qualities, and interests; Reflects your ability to present information in an organized, succinct, and eye-catching manner; Demonstrates your ability to write well and pay close attention to detail. To the extent that it is practical, resumes should also be tailored to the type of job you are applying for: for example, a resume that is being sent to public interest employers would include more details regarding public interest activities. If applying to an environmental advocacy organization; you might include information regarding membership in environmental organizations, volunteer work you have performed, and any other public interest experience. If you are applying to a private law firm, however, your resume might include more information on business experience, and less on pro bono work. You should consider creating a “general” legal resume, and then create different versions of it for different job searches.
Creating a Resume
Appearance and Format A legal resume has a very particular style: it is not the place to express your individual artistic creativity. Instead, the resume should appear organized, structured and balanced: it must be designed to be read quickly and clearly. A resume should always be printed on 8 ½'' x 11'' paper. Use heavy bond paper that is white, off-white, or a pale shade of cream. Start with your name, address, phone and email information at the top. If your name is in an excessively large type, it looks like you’re shouting at the reader; conversely, if it’s the same size as your address, it looks like you’re hiding. Avoid both extremes. The various sections of your resume – Education, Experience, Skills, etc. – should look consistent: if you italicize your job title for one job description, do it for all job titles; use the same font size and style (bold, underlined, etc.) for the same types of entries. Be careful of too much of a good thing, overuse can make the resume appear cluttered and distract the reader. Use of different fonts is rarely effective. Choose a simple font and stay with it. The bottom line of resume writing is readability. Most student resumes should be confined to one page unless you have had substantial experience in a previous career. A two page resume filled with undergraduate jobs and temporary positions does NOT look more impressive; it only shows that you either don’t know how to create a concise resume or didn’t bother to do so. If you are having trouble making everything fit on one page, or are unsure what to put in; bring it to your counselor, who will help you get it down to the right size.
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Content
Heading. Put your name, address, telephone number and the email address which you check most frequently at the top of your resume. Be sure to include your work (if applicable), home, and cell telephone numbers. If you are applying to employers in your hometown or state, you may wish to include both your school and permanent addresses. Education. List your current (Seton Hall) education first and proceed in reverse chronological order: e.g. legal education, graduate institution where appropriate, and undergraduate background. For each institution, indicate the year of graduation (not years in attendance) and the degree obtained or expected. Do not include your high school education. If you have attended a summer program, you have at least two options. You can describe your program in a separate listing, or it can be included as a sub-category under the appropriate undergraduate or law school. For example: London School of Economics, London, England Studied political theory and European Economics, Summer 1997 William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA Bachelor of Arts, May 1998 Study Abroad: University of Madrid, Summer 1997 Indicate law school grades, honors, activities, law journal membership, clinical work, and research projects. When discussing activities it is typically not effective to put a long list of clubs or organizations in which you are only listing membership. Surprisingly, the Honors section is one of the most underused. Honors can include any position in which a student is selected by his or her peers or appointed by faculty or administration. For example, if a faculty member chooses members of a Moot Court Board based on writing samples provided by students, being chosen is an honor. Explain each honors listing fully. If the reader cannot figure out what a particular honor is for, it adds nothing to your resume. Grades. Employers are always interested in your academic record, and many will ask for a transcript. Seton Hall grades should be listed as they appear on your transcript since the employer will likely see a transcript eventually. Ranks must be listed in the same way Seton Hall calculates them. Ranks are calculated twice each year. Do not estimate your class rank. Correct Listing: GPA: 3.333 Rank: 78/232 If your grades do not positively reflect your abilities, you may omit them. Know, however, that some employers will not consider resumes that do not show some measure of academic performance, and that many employers assume that failure to list a GPA indicates a poor academic record. Consult with a career counselor about how to proceed and at what point you should consider adding grades to your resume, as well as how to respond to questions on this topic. The general rule of thumb is that if the GPA is a 3.0 or better, or places the student in the top 50%, include it. If it is below that mark, it may be better to exclude it. When preparing your resume, keep in mind that inaccurate information with respect to your academic record or school activities can constitute grounds for revocation of a job offer and disciplinary action by the Law School.
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Do not include your LSAT score on your resume! The Law School Admission Council discourages the release of LSAT scores for non admission purposes and specifically indicates that LSAT scores should not be used for hiring, employment, or salary purposes. It is very rare for a legal employer to care at all about LSAT scores. Experience. By using the term “experience” as opposed to “employment”, you may include volunteer work, clinic experience, and internships in this category. List your experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent position. If you are still working at a position, make it clear that your job is until the “present.” It is not necessary to include every part-time job you ever held. For each position include: name of the employer; location of the position; job title and brief description; and dates of employment Include significant part-time or summer employment. Write a brief paragraph using action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments. For examples, see the Appendix. Resist the temptation to begin every description with the phrase “responsibilities included.” Quantify descriptions if you can, for example: “As chairman, increased membership by 120%.” Also, be sure to include details on the type of legal work you performed and the practice areas addressed. Legal employers see “researched and prepared memoranda of law” on hundreds of resumes. The resume that will stand out is the one that indicates what was researched. If you have had substantial experience in a non-legal career, you must consider your resume from a legal employer’s point of view. Many details of your previous work, particularly if it is of a technical or highly specialized nature, will not be relevant to a legal employer – it may not even be comprehensible to anyone outside the field! Instead, give brief summaries of the technical aspects of your work, and try to highlight any writing, public speaking, or client contact you may have had. As always, talk to your counselor about translating the language of one industry into another! As you progress in your law school career, you may also wish to summarize earlier part-time, summer, and non-legal experience into a few lines. Try, however, to describe both your legal and non-legal employment in a non-generic way that will both distinguish you from other applicants and will interest the reader. For example, when making hiring decisions, employers often give weight to self-financed education. For instance: Financed over 75% of undergraduate education through part-time work in retail sales and restaurant management. Skills/ Hobbies/ Interests and other categories. The purpose of these categories is to list information that does not fit into other categories – language skills, for instance are always worth mentioning. In addition, listing hobbies and interests can facilitate conversation or break the ice during interviews, and give employers a more well-rounded view of your background. If you decide to include this information, be prepared to talk about it. Also, make sure your personal interests are descriptive. For example: Enjoy travel to East Asia, Chinese and Thai cooking, and Nineteenth Century European literature is much more effective than Enjoy travel, cooking, and reading.
Spell Check: The Golden Rule
It is remarkable that even in this era of the computer, spelling and grammatical errors are still found on resumes. The most frequent grammatical errors are incorrect use of capitalization, incorrect punctuation and failure to use parallel sentence structure. Spell check is not foolproof and nothing substitutes for several careful
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readings of your resume. Never send out a resume without fully checking and rechecking it, and having it checked by another person! A single spelling or punctuation error can cost you a job offer!
Resume Falsification
In a competitive market, it can be very tempting to exaggerate your credentials. You must resist this temptation! Be ethical and practical. All of the information on your resume can, and very likely will, be verified. If you choose to participate in Seton Hall Law’s On-Campus Recruitment Program in the spring of your first year, OCS will verify your grade and class rank information before submitting your materials to employers. Most law schools, including Seton Hall, have student codes of professional responsibility. These codes include a statement cautioning students to avoid even the appearance of impropriety when they prepare their resumes, cover letters, application forms, and other career materials.
General Resume Do’s and Don’ts:
Do: Make sure your contact information is correct; Make sure you have accurately listed your GPA and class rank; Make sure you have thoroughly edited and spell-checked your resume, given it to at least one other person to edit, and then edit it again before sending it out. Don’t: Include a summary or job objective: legal resumes don’t use these; Use the heading, “Work Experience,” it’s redundant; Use the first person in your job descriptions, i.e. “I worked in the …”
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REFERENCES
References or letters of reference are critical ingredients in your job search, yet they are often misunderstood. A reference serves as an indication of your reputation among those with whom you have worked. It provides an employer with an idea of who you are as a professional, and how well you interact with others. While the value of a reference is hard to measure compared to objective criteria such as grades and class rank, good references can add a great deal to your application. Conversely, lukewarm references will do little or nothing for you.
Obtaining a Quality Reference
It is not rocket science to get a good reference, but you have to go about it the right way. In order to get quality references, you need to select whom you want to ask for references, cultivate your relationship with them, and then facilitate the process of getting the letters written or the information conveyed to the employer. It can take time to build a relationship with a potential reference, and even longer to get an actual letter in hand. Do not wait for employers to ask you for references to start requesting them! You should have at least approached your choices for references before you send out a single resume. Usually two references are sufficient but some employers may ask for more – check to make sure you know the requirements. Who. The first and most important criteria for selecting a person to write a letter on your behalf is that they know you. This is actually more important than the prestige of the person writing the letter. A reference from the Dean of the Law School or a well-known judge, if they have only met you once for a few minutes, is worth much less than a letter from a junior professor or former employer who knows you well and has seen your work. Obviously, the reputation of the person can help – a letter from the Secretary of State obviously would carry weight. For those who do not have close ties to Cabinet members, your best bets are professors and former employers. The final criteria, if applicable, is someone who knows you and has known you in a capacity that is relevant to your particular job search – a former commanding officer if you’re applying to the JAG corps, a supervisor of a volunteer program you have worked with if you are looking for a public interest position, etc. How. Cultivating a relationship with a potential reference means talking to them. If it is a professor, speak up in class and ask questions afterwards. If the professor has experience in an area of law that interests you, make an appointment to sit down and talk. The professor may have contacts or information to pass along. The reference should know enough about you in order to discuss your intellectual abilities, interests, personality and career goals. If it is an employer, try to ensure that they have seen examples of your work and that they know enough about you to write about you in some detail. When the time comes to ask a person to act as a reference, you should understand that people react in different ways. Some will want to talk to discuss to whom the letter is going and what you want it to say; some will want you to draft a letter for them as a starting point. Remember that the person providing you a reference is doing you a significant favor, so be polite but be confident. Convincing your reference that you are a worthy job candidate is the first step in convincing a potential employer. Assuming that the person you have asked has agreed to write a letter, offer to assist in any way you can. Always bring a copy of your resume when you are requesting a reference!
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Delivery. The final step is to make sure your reference letter is completed. For certain judicial clerkships, letters of reference are usually sent to Maria Capra in Career Services, and the office handles their distribution to judges. For other employers, follow their instructions. If they do not provide you with instructions, ask them for their preferred method of delivery. Some employers and references may request that you not see the letter itself, others will be more open. Please follow their lead. Be diligent about checking on your references to make sure that a promised letter has been written; people get busy, deadlines are forgotten, and ultimately it is your job to make sure that your letters of reference are delivered properly and in a timely fashion. As always, come to Career Services if you have any questions about how to obtain references. Think of your references as a building block to establishing your reputation as a professional and an attorney; work to obtain quality references and you will likely attain quality results.
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FOLLOWING UP
Thank-You Letters
It is a good idea to send a thank-you letter immediately after an in-office interview or a callback interview. It is also a smart idea to send a thank-you letter to anyone who has given you substantial help professionally – a former employer who provided a letter of recommendation or a contact at a future employer, someone who introduced you to contacts at a firm or organization, or someone who gave you an informational interview. These letters help build your reputation as a professional and keep your network running smoothly. Thank-you letters are a common courtesy to those who have shown interest in employing you. They also provide an excellent opportunity to succinctly: Add additional information that you might have forgotten to share during the interview Provide material such as a transcript or writing sample requested during your interview Readdress a question that you might not have answered to your satisfaction Mention a new development (i.e., a new court decision) you just learned of in an area you discussed with the interviewer Reiterate your interest in the firm or organization Update your resume with anything pertinent that has happened since your interview (e.g., a moot court competition) You should send a thank-you letter to each person with whom you interviewed. Each letter should be different and emphasize certain specific examples from your meeting with that particular person. NOTE: If you have trouble remembering names, write them down right after the interview, ask a secretary on your way out, or do whatever you need to in order to make sure you have names and spelling correct!! When writing a thank-you letter, be sure to be specific. Your letter should clearly acknowledge that you visited that firm or organization. The letter should not be so general that it could be used for all callback interviews. For example, you might mention a particular case or experience that the interviewer talked about, a new area of practice or program for new attorneys, the firm's plans for a new building that you were shown, etc. In closing your correspondence, indicate a willingness to provide additional information that might be helpful in their decision-making process. A thank-you letter should be short and to the point. It does not need to go into great detail about what you liked about the employer.
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Prepare this letter carefully so the positive impression you made during the interview is reinforced by a well-organized, well-written letter. Make sure you check the letter thoroughly for any grammatical or spelling errors. A letter with mistakes can erase the positive impression you made during your interview. Be sure to send your thank-you letter as soon as possible after the callback interview, preferably within 24 hours. If you need help in writing a thank-you letter, see the sample letters in the Appendix or visit OCS for assistance.
Follow-Up Calls
One of the most difficult aspects of your job search will be waiting to hear from potential employers. At some point, you will want to contact an office to find out what’s going on with your application. When should you call and what should you say? It depends on where you have applied and where you are in the process. After you’ve sent a resume and cover letter. If you have not heard back within two to three weeks, a phone call may be appropriate to find out if the office received your resume, if they are scheduling interviews yet, and if they need any further information. Smaller firms and public interest organizations may not have a set period for summer hiring, and may require more attention on your part to get them to schedule an interview. After your first interview. If the person who interviewed you has not given you a specific time frame for getting back to you, you may, if you feel that you have a good rapport with the interviewer, ask if she knows when you might hear about a call-back. If three weeks have passed and you have not heard anything, follow up as above. After a callback. Did you send your thank-you letter(s)? If the organization has not told you when to expect an answer, you should call back after two weeks to find out your status. When you have an offer. You should be careful when trying to leverage an existing offer against another employer. The first thing to make sure of is how much time you have before the offer expires. It is perfectly reasonable to call employers that you have not heard from and let them know you have an offer outstanding, but do not act pushy! Some firms may simply not be able to reach a decision in time, or may be offended by a “hard-ball” approach. Talk to OCS counselors to help determine how to proceed. Clerkships. At all times, be polite and deferential to judges, clerks and support staff! Keep in mind that many judges receive hundreds of applications each year and are hard pressed to handle all of them. Also be aware that the clerkship selection process is a very personal decision, and any negative impressions you make may impact your chances. Public Interest and Government Organizations. Many public interest offices, particularly smaller ones, have a fairly informal hiring process. As a result, they may respond favorably to those who give them extra attention and check in to ask about the hiring process. However, be careful not to overdo it and annoy hardworking staff attorneys. Government offices can be similar, but larger and more prestigious agencies will operate more like law firms. In all cases. Be polite in all your communications!! No matter how frustrated you may be feeling, remember that the people you are talking to are doing you a favor by possibly employing you. Act professionally at all times and you will be responded to in a similar manner. Also, try to speak directly to the hiring partner or recruiting coordinator rather than his or her assistant.
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Accepting an Offer
Congratulations! Your job search is done, for now. If the offer was made over the phone, ask if a letter will follow – it’s always better to have the offer in writing. The office may discuss details such as starting date, salary, etc. immediately, or may defer it to a later time. You may decide to accept the offer by phoning the employer or sending a letter of acceptance (see the sample letter in the Appendix), but always follow up a phone call with a letter. Once you have accepted an offer, you have an obligation to inform all other employers who are still considering your application as soon as possible. This will avoid wasting everyone’s time, and may free up a space for another Seton Hall student!
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