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A
user-friendly cover letter means keeping it short and sweet, like
four to five paragraphs; certainly no more than one page.
- First
paragraph: Explain why you are writing, why do you want to work
for this particular company, tell them what job you are applying
for and why, where you learned about it and who referred you
to the job, if someone did. Tell them what job you are applying
for, where you learned about it and who referred you to the
job, if someone did.
- Second
paragraph: Talk about your most distinguishing, but relevant,
characteristic.
- Third
paragraph: Bring up your next most distinguishing characteristic,
still relevant, of course.
- Fourth
paragraph: One more time, tell them one more reason why you
are perfect for this particular job.
- Fifth
paragraph: In conclusion, tell the reader what the next step
is.
A
quick list of Do's and Don'ts
- Do
type the cover letter. No matter how good your penmanship.
- Don't
make spelling or grammatical errors. Have someone else read
it over before you send it.
- Do
use a standard business letter format, including the company's
full address even if you're faxing or e-mailing
the letter and resume.
- Don't
get too creative and cutesy with fonts and paper. The cover
letter should be neat and legible.
- Do
mention what job you are applying for.
- Don't
send a copy of a generic letter that you're sending out
to any ol' potential employer.
- Once you have a versatile, well-written
cover letter in your computer, you're ready to go. With a quick
tweaking, it will suit whatever position or company you are
interested in.
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