Career Planning & Placement Center
Cover & Thank-You Letters
Your resume is your marketing brochure. Your cover letter is your introduction or 'executive summary' of your resume. A handwritten thank-you note is your personalized acknowledgement of the time and effort the recruiting team has dedicated to your candidacy.
Cover Letters:
The main point of a cover letter is to tie your experience directly to the job description. Look at the description and be sure the words relate directly to those in your cover letter and resume. If the employer is looking for teamwork, highlight a team experience in your resume and be sure to have included a team-related accomplishment in your cover letter. A Cover letter should be: • • • Concise: In three paragraphs introduce yourself, indicate where you learned of the opportunity, connect your skill set to the job requirements and state the next step. Clear: Articulate your qualifications in words that mirror what the employer provided in the job description. Do not try to impress with a long list of accomplishments. This is the executive summary, not the resume. Convincing: An employer will make a decision on your candidacy based on the combined letter and resume package. You have to articulate the connection and sell your skills. This is a competition. Why should the employer hire you?
(A sample cover letter is included on the reverse side of this page)
Thank-You Notes
A recent survey of USC employers indicated that 76% prefer a handwritten thank-you note after an interview. If you are concerned about the legibility of your handwriting you can type a note on resume stock paper. If you are confident in your handwriting use a note card. After each interview, ask for a business card. Once you have left the employer location, take a minute to sit down and make a few notes about the experience. This will help you customize each thank-you note to each individual interviewer. Many recruiting days include multiple interviews. You do not want to send a template thank-you note to all. A thank-you note gives you the additional opportunity to reinforce a point from the interview or follow up on a question you were not able to answer during the interview. A thank-you note should be timely and be sent within 48 hours of the interview. (A sample thank-you note is included on the reverse side of the page)
see samples on other side...
Cover & Thank-You Letters (samples)
3650 McClintock Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90007 (213) 555-1212 October 20, 2008
October 1, 2008
Ms. Susan Smith Director of Marketing and Sales IBCT Corporation 4250 Marine Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90089 Dear Susan,
Dear Ms. Smith,
I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position recently advertised on connectSC. My degree in Psychology and my internships with AstraZeneca and Fox Entertainment Group match the qualifications you describe in the job listing.
Thank you for coordinating my visit to the IBCT Corporation offices on Friday. It was a full day of interviews and I appreciate the time dedicated to me by the various members of the sales team. I came away from the interviews with a renewed interest in the marketing associate position. I am particularly interested in the entertainment marketing group where I could build on my previous internship experience and assist with the marketing outreach to Fox Entertainment Group. Please let me know if you need additional information as you consider my candidacy. I look forward to the next step in the selection process. Tommy
USC Career Planning & Placement Center 3601 Trousdale Parkway, Student Union 110, Los Angeles, CA 90089-4897 (213) 740-9111 • careers@usc.edu • http://careers.usc.edu
I will graduate in May from USC with a minor in Business Administration. My coursework and internship experience has given me the opportunity to consult directly with customers of both pharmaceutical and entertainment products. I have created and delivered sales presentations and worked directly with senior account managers. This past spring I studied in Madrid, further developing my language skills. This combined experience corresponds with the skills you require.
Thank you in advance for considering my application. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the position with you at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Tommy Trojan
Enclosure