Cover Letter Do's and Dont's

• Don’t ever send your resume without a cover letter.
• Do address your letter to the appropriate person (e.g. the hiring manager).
• Do send an original letter to each employer.
• Don’t use clichés such as “Enclosed please find my resume” or “As you can see on my resume.”
• Don’t depend on the employer to take action. Request action. Request an interview and tell the employer when you will follow up to arrange it. Then make sure you follow up.
• Don’t have any typos, misspellings, incorrect grammar or punctuation.
• Do keep the cover letter brief—one page maximum.
• Do tell the employer how you can be of benefit to the company.
• Don’t rehash your resume. Use your cover letter to highlight the aspects of your resume that are relevant to the position.
• Do avoid the three most common cover letter mistakes:
     Not addressing the letter to a named individual
     Not asking for an interview
     Not talking about what you can do for the employer
• Do use Action Verbs
• Don’t forget to personally sign the letter (if mailing the letter).
• Do use emailed cover letters—keep them shorter and more concise.
• Do contact Career Services for assistance in writing your cover letter.