Writing Tutorials

Writing a cover letter

By Mary-Anne Tyler
This site has been reproduced with the kind permission of Mary-Anne Tyler. Her original site can be found at www.writing-cover-letters.com.com

Cover Letter Writing Tips

1. Write a professional letterhead for your cover letter.

Take the information on name and address, use another font and type size and you can instantly created a better looking and more professional letter. Simple, but effective. Then use quality paper for both your cover letter and your resume.

professional cover letter - letterhead

John Noakes
1221 Stave Avenue
Washington DC 22090

Sales Executive advertised in
Computer Monthly

Dear Mr Johns

Joining Datacom’s Sales Team

I would like to join Datacom Office Equipment as your new Sales Executive and bring to your organization my 12 years of experience working on international corporate clients for Bestdata.

My training at Bestdata helped me become Regional Sales Representative of the Month four times in two years. After my promotion to North-East Regional Sales Manager, we improved training for sales representatives, revamped our marketing strategy and moved into direct selling on the Internet. Sales increased by 30 per cent in the next year.

Many of these ideas apply to Datacom's product range, especially the innovative portable telephones and fax machines you recently launched in the trade press.

I'd be happy to discuss these ideas at an interview. Could we arrange an interview in early June when I am in New York?

Yours sincerely

John Noakes

Enclosed: Resume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Keep the administrative information out of the first paragraph

Employers want to know what position you are applying for and where you saw the advertisement. So we usually list this information in the opening sentence of the first paragraph with such a standard sentence such as: I wish to apply for the position of Research Director advertised in the June issue of Employment News.

Although this is clear and to the point, you need a more powerful opening paragraph — one that makes you stand out. Place the administrative information above the body of the letter or as a reference. This frees you up to write a more powerful opening paragraph.

professional cover letter - letterhead

John Noakes
1221 Stave Avenue
Washington DC 22090

Sales Executive advertised in
Computer Monthly

Dear Mr Johns

Joining Datacom’s Sales Team

I would like to join Datacom Office Equipment as your new Sales Executive and bring to your organization my 12 years of experience working on international corporate clients for Bestdata.

My training at Bestdata helped me become Regional Sales Representative of the Month four times in two years. After my promotion to North-East Regional Sales Manager, we improved training for sales representatives, revamped our marketing strategy and moved into direct selling on the Internet. Sales increased by 30 per cent in the next year.

Many of these ideas apply to Datacom's product range, especially the innovative portable telephones and fax machines you recently launched in the trade press.

I'd be happy to discuss these ideas at an interview. Could we arrange an interview in early June when I am in New York?

Yours sincerely

John Noakes

Enclosed: Resume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Personalize your cover letter

Try to write to a person. If you don't know the name, telephone to find out.

Personalizing a letter goes much further than using the name of the reader. Look how the use of pronouns, the name of the firm and especially the information in the third paragraph shows this is a letter specifically written to this employer.

example of professional cover letter

John Noakes
1221 Stave Avenue
Washington DC 22090

Sales Executive advertised in
Computer Monthly

Dear Mr Johns

Joining Datacom’s Sales Team

I would like to join Datacom Office Equipment as your new Sales Executive and bring to your organization my 12 years of experience working on international corporate clients for Bestdata.

My training at Bestdata helped me become Regional Sales Representative of the Month four times in two years. After my promotion to North-East Regional Sales Manager, we improved training for sales representatives, revamped our marketing strategy and moved into direct selling on the Internet. Sales increased by 30 per cent in the next year.

Many of these ideas apply to Datacom's product range, especially the innovative portable telephones and fax machines you recently launched in the trade press.

I'd be happy to discuss these ideas at an interview. Could we arrange an interview in early June when I am in New York?

Yours sincerely

John Noakes

Enclosed: Resume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Write a positive, action heading with a strong verb.

Use the journalistic technique of putting verbs in your headings. This lets you start your letter by suggesting an action. Here the verb joining as the first word of the heading shows confidence — so important in a candidate for a sales post.

example of professional cover letter

John Noakes
1221 Stave Avenue
Washington DC 22090

Sales Executive advertised in
Computer Monthly

Dear Mr Johns

Joining Datacom’s Sales Team

I would like to join Datacom Office Equipment as your new Sales Executive and bring to your organization my 12 years of experience working on international corporate clients for Bestdata.

My training at Bestdata helped me become Regional Sales Representative of the Month four times in two years. After my promotion to North-East Regional Sales Manager, we improved training for sales representatives, revamped our marketing strategy and moved into direct selling on the Internet. Sales increased by 30 per cent in the next year.

Many of these ideas apply to Datacom's product range, especially the innovative portable telephones and fax machines you recently launched in the trade press.

I'd be happy to discuss these ideas at an interview. Could we arrange an interview in early June when I am in New York?

Yours sincerely

John Noakes

Enclosed: Resume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Use your opening paragraph to give the main reason for hiring you

What's the one qualification you have that makes you a candidate worth interviewing. By working this information into the first paragraph, you're reader immediately gets your main qualification and unique selling message.

example of professional cover letter

John Noakes
1221 Stave Avenue
Washington DC 22090

Sales Executive advertised in
Computer Monthly

Dear Mr Johns

Joining Datacom’s Sales Team

I would like to join Datacom Office Equipment as your new Sales Executive and bring to your organization my 12 years of experience working on international corporate clients for Bestdata.

My training at Bestdata helped me become Regional Sales Representative of the Month four times in two years. After my promotion to North-East Regional Sales Manager, we improved training for sales representatives, revamped our marketing strategy and moved into direct selling on the Internet. Sales increased by 30 per cent in the next year.

Many of these ideas apply to Datacom's product range, especially the innovative portable telephones and fax machines you recently launched in the trade press.

I'd be happy to discuss these ideas at an interview. Could we arrange an interview in early June when I am in New York?

Yours sincerely

John Noakes

Enclosed: Resume

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next: Tip 6. Use the second paragraph to expand on your unique qualification

Writing a Cover Letter Tutorial Page: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

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