How to Write a Cover Letter/Letter of Interest Cover letter
REASON FOR A COVER LETTER A cover letter is a professional way of sending something, such as your resume or a job application, and letting the recipient know why you’ve sent it. For your personal business, you should use one any time you send something, such as an order or payment. In the case of a cover letter for a resume or application, it also provides you - most important - an opportunity to give the prospective employer reasons to want to interview you. It is a cover letter in that it is “covering” something else – your resume, application, etc.; it is a letter of interest in that its purpose is to express your interest in working for the recipient. Two sections follow. The first, format, explains how it is to be laid out. The second, content, is the body of the letter – what goes between “Dear Mr. Jones” and “Sincerely”. Always keep copies of what you sent. FORMAT The format for writing a cover letter is the same as for any business letter. If you’re not familiar with business letters (or if it’s been a while since you learned how to write them), this is what it is: Letterhead First, set the top margin at .5. Then set up a “letterhead” just as a business does. If you have already done this for your resume, then you can just copy and paste it. A traditional letterhead consists of your name on the first line; your street address (or P.O. Box if that’s what you’re using) on the second; city state and zip code on the third, and phone(s) and email address on the 4th, separated by space/symbol/space – or any other way you can separate them that looks professional – all centered. Font size for your name should be larger than the one you will use for the body of the letter – large enough to get noticed; not so large that it screams at people – and bolded. The rest of the contact information should be no larger than the main font, preferably the next size down, and not bolded. If you want to be more elaborate, you could have your name at the top and your contact information at the bottom. To do this, you would use headers and footers. You may wish to include a “logo”, such as a small, simple and relevant graphic, but use discretion in doing so. If your permanent contact information is different from your current information, and you will be applying before you return, show both, and indicate date you will move. Show them separately – possibly one on the left side and one on the right.
Fonts and margin settings The default margin settings in Word are 1” for top and bottom; l.25” for sides. Usual font size is 12 pts for Times New Roman or similar; 11 pts for Ariel and most other sans serif fonts. You will already have changed the top margin for your letterhead, as above. In most cases, you will probably want to use those font sizes and 1” side margins. Depending on the length of the letter, you might need to reduce the font size to the next smaller size and/or reduce the side margins to .9 and the bottom margin to .5. If it still runs over a page, it’s probably too long. Style The most commonly-used style – and the easiest – is block, in which everything except your letterhead is lined up flush left (at the left margin). Layout Insert the date a couple of lines below the letterhead – two is usual, but it can be more if the letter is very short and it looks unbalanced. Drop down four lines from the date to start the addressee. It should be addressed exactly as you would a business letter: Either 1) name of individual, and then name of organization on the next line, or 2) name of organization, and then Attn: name of individual on the next line; street address or P.O. Box on the following line, and then city, state and zip code on the last line. You should always try to get the name and title of the person to whom it should be directed, but if you can’t, or there isn’t a specific person, then use the name of the department. If you are applying for a posted opening, then two lines down from that, show your reference, which would be the position title, and the job posting number if there is one. Example: Re: 5th grade teacher position, job #04-567
Two lines down from the reference (or the addressee if there is no reference), type your salutation – usually “Dear Mr./Ms. Smith:” (without the first name). It’s a good idea to check with the school or district to see how the person should be addressed, as they might be “Dr. Smith”. If you can’t tell the person’s gender from their first name (and they’re not “Dr.”), call and ask the operator or assistant. If absolutely unable to get the information, then you can address it “Dear Leslie Smith:” If you are sending it to a department, then the salutation would be either “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern”. Two lines down from that, type your letter. Double space between paragraphs. Two or three lines after the body of the letter, type your closing. (e.g., Sincerely). Drop down four lines from that and type your name. Two lines down from that, type your enclosures: Encl: resume (If more than one, use Encs: and indicate what you have enclosed.
Appearance Use a laser printer. If you don’t have one, save the letter on disk or email it to yourself and print it where there is one. (For a letter that is to be reproduced such as a “generic” letter of interest see below – this is particularly important as laser jet printers generally don’t copy as well.) If you are mailing, use “resume paper” or other good-quality paper. White or ivory are generally best; light gray is acceptable. Choice of color may depend on whether or not you have used colored fonts or logo. Note that some so-called resume paper is stiff and almost as thick as card stock, and isn’t as good. Also note that smaller fonts may not print or copy as well on linen or other textured weave. CONTENT A cover letter consists of three sections. Usually this means three paragraphs, but if the second paragraph is too long, you might need to break it up. In the first paragraph, tell them why you’re writing them. First, express your interest. If it’s a posted or known opening, mention the particular position and tell them where you learned of it. Then tell them why you’re interested in their school or district, expressing your enthusiasm about it. This means you will first have “done your homework” both by looking them up on the Internet and by asking people who may be familiar with it, such as classmates, alumni, faculty, student teaching director, master teachers and colleagues. In the second section, briefly summarize your qualifications as they relate to the position and their school or district. In the last paragraph, you “ask for the interview”. Use a summary statement to the effect that what you’ve just told them about yourself would make you an asset in that position or to their school or district, and then express your interest in meeting with them (which is the whole point of your letter). Close by saying either that you will contact them in X number of days or weeks, or “after you have had a chance to review this”, or if they have said “no calls”, then indicate that you look forward to hearing from them. (It is, however, acceptable and prudent to call to confirm that they received it – and shows interest and follow-through.) Most important – be brief and to the point.
“Generic” letter of interest
This is a letter that can form part of your professional portfolio or placement file, and for that reason, is not addressed and is not specific to the school or district. Put the date, then the salutation, and then the rest of the letter is the same as for a cover letter, except for the following: • • In your first paragraph, your reason for wanting to work for them will be more generic – i.e., wanting to work for a school or district that is known for excellence. You will not have an enclosure section,.