Round 1 Process
8 Effective Cover Letters
General Cover Letter Information
A cover letter is a crucial component of a job application since it is the first impression a potential employer receives from you. A cover letter is persuasive in nature; your aim is to convince employers that you have the skills and experience they are looking for, and to show how you can contribute to their organization. By relating important details from your resumé to the specific position you are applying for, a cover letter shows your prospective employer how to read and interpret your resumé.
The general format and components of a cover letter are:
♦ your return address (do not include your name) ♦ the date
♦ the name of the company
♦ a salutation (e.g., “Dear Sir/Madam:”, or “To Whom It May
Concern:”)
♦ a subject line to indicate which competition or position you
are applying for (include the competition or job number if the employer has provided one, or use the ECO job code provided)
♦ the body of your letter, normally three to five paragraphs in
length
♦ a closing statement
♦ an enclosure line to indicate that you have attached your
resumé and transcript
Planning & Preparation
Before you write the cover letter, you will need to brainstorm and plan what is essential to include. Your resumé contains a detailed summary of your education, job and volunteer experience, skills, and interests. However, not all details will be relevant to every job for which you apply. One♦trick♦to♦writing♦effective♦cover♦ letters♦is♦to♦understand♦what♦the♦employer♦is♦looking♦for♦ before♦you♦begin♦writing. By carefully analyzing the employer’s job posting, you will be able to determine which skills and experiences to focus on in your cover letter.
Reminder:♦When reviewing job descriptions in ECO, and during your independent job search, if you have 50% of the technical skills, you should apply.
Step One: Examine the Job Posting
Company♦Name:♦This may or may not clearly indicate the nature of the company’s operations. Research each company you apply to in order to relate your skills appropriately and answer the following questions:
♦ In which business sector does the company operate? ♦ In what type of activities is it engaged?
♦ Has there been any recent company news? ♦ Where is the company and its office(s) located?
Job♦Title: If a specific job title is listed, it will give you an indication of what the job involves. Be aware, however, that many job titles in ECO are “Co-op Student”.
Job♦Description: In order to prepare examples of your relevant experience, prioritize duties and skills in order of importance to effectively perform the job. Make sure you understand what the work will require.
Cover letters must not exceed one page
A cover letter is a bridge that connects your resume to a specific job description
Take the time to review the job description to gain an understanding of the position you are applying for
32 Effective Cover Letters
Example: Dissect the Job Description
Job♦Requirements
What skills, knowledge or personal attributes are required for this position?
Related♦Experience♦and♦Skills
What skills and knowledge have I developed through work, education or extra- curricular experiences that will allow me to meet the requirements of this position?
Programming♦skills
♦ Learned .net on my own
♦ Experimented with HTML and CSS to build and develop personal web page ♦ Reformatted page to XHTML to integrate JavaScript slide-out menu
Excellent♦oral♦and♦written♦♦ communication♦skills
♦ Completed a technical communication course during second year university ♦ Provided UBC orientations for first year students
♦ Greeted and assisted patrons at the Chan Centre
Assists♦Mechanical♦Engineers♦to♦develop♦ production♦or♦experimental♦designs
♦ Completed AutoCAD 1 & 2 at BCIT ♦ Modeling experience with Pro Engineer
♦ Reported to a team of three Mechanical Engineers at ABC Company Skills♦Required/Qualifications: Most job postings will list
specific skills, education and experience needed to perform the job available. Consider the following:
♦ What combination of skills, education and experience do you
have that would meet the employer’s needs?
♦ What qualifications are “hidden” within the job description?
For example, if a posting says “You will be working with a group of exceptional engineers to prepare technical presentations”, you can infer the employer is looking for someone with writing skills who is able to work in a team setting.
♦ Can you provide specific examples that relate to the skill set
required?
Step Two: Dissect the Job Description
Refer to the exercises in the Workshop 1 online modules. Take a few minutes to brainstorm and list (in point form) your qualities, skills, and experiences relating to the job description and qualifications.
Step Three: Develop Content
Developing♦the♦Body♦of♦Your♦Letter
Applying for jobs takes a lot of time and effort; you may be tempted to use one standard cover letter for all employers and jobs to save time. However, you are required to prepare a unique and directly-related cover letter for each job application. Tailor♦ each♦cover♦letter♦so♦it♦addresses♦the♦specific♦requirements♦of♦ the♦job.♦
Introduction
Your introduction must capture the reader’s interest and motivate him/her to continue reading. You can accomplish this by using one or more of the following strategies:
♦ If you have a personal contact at the company, you should
highlight this.
♦ Show that you have specific knowledge about, and interest
in, the organization. You can impress an employer by demonstrating that you have taken the time to research the company.
♦ Include a personal statement of your interest in the job
posting to show you have considered how a position with this organization fits into your long term plans.
Body Paragraphs
The body of your letter reflects how your skills, experience and personal attributes connect to the job requirements. It should provide specific examples to support that you are a qualified and interested candidate for the position. Refer back to the job dissection exercise from the online assignment in Workshop 1 Module 4 where you analyze a job description, and select information that will prove you can do the job well.
Order your content in a way that will be clear and logical for the reader. You may want to include some of following information:
♦ Discuss the degree(s) you are pursuing and/or already hold
in relevant fields of study; show how your educational background qualifies you for the position.
♦ Highlight relevant job, volunteer, lab/project, and extra-
curricular experiences by providing one or two carefully chosen examples to show how these experiences qualify you for the position.
♦ Discuss specific skills you have that would help you perform
the duties of the position; again, provide succinct and specific details to prove you have the skills the employer wants.
♦ Mention special interests or extracurricular activities you
participate in that are relevant to the job posting.
Closing
The closing should include information about how the employer can contact you through the Engineering Co-op office and an appreciative statement to the employer for taking the time to read your application, or a message of goodwill or positive regard for the company.
Format and Fonts
While the content of cover letters will vary between individuals, the format should not. Your letter should include the information outlined above and should be presented on one page so it is easy to read, neat and free of errors.
A cover letter should be single-spaced and fit on one page. Type your cover letter using a 10- or 12-point font that is easy to read; Arial and Times New Roman are the most common, but do not be afraid to select others.
Note: You cannot select alternate fonts for your ECO cover letter but you can use basic HTML tags.
You may not use♦the♦UBC♦crest♦or♦the♦UBC♦Engineering♦♦♦♦♦ Co-op♦logo♦on♦documents♦sent♦out♦during♦your♦independent♦ job♦search.
Tone and Style
Just as the employer’s tone in the job posting influenced your impression of the company and position, the tone you use in your cover letter will influence the employer’s impression of you. Your tone results from word choices, sentence length and structure, and stylistic devices.
You should present yourself as business-like and competent. To Employers know when you have taken the time to tailor your
cover letter to the position
Your cover letter should capture the reader’s attention by the end of the first pararaph
Address the requirements of the job posting in the body of your cover letter. Provide specific and relevant examples of
34 Effective Cover Letters
do this, pay particular attention to the clarity, meaning, precision and creativity of your word choice. Ensure grammatical accuracy. Vary the length and structure of your sentences and paragraphs.
NOTE: Carefully proof-read your cover letters and, as much as possible, have someone else read your letters and offer feedback. Some employers will reject applications outright for errors found in cover letters, especially when claims about strong communication skills are followed by spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
Example:♦Writer-centered♦Statement
I am seeking a position with a leading engineering firm which will aid me in developing the skills necessary for the fuel cell industry and give me experience working with a leading company.
Example:♦Reader-centered♦Statement
Your company is one of the leaders in the fuel cell industry because it emphasizes research and development as well as promotes innovative ideas. As a UBC mechanical engineering student, I could contribute fresh thinking and ideas to your company, previous work experience in research and development, and significant hands-on skills.
Here are a few reminders about tone and style:
♦ Focus on what you can do for employers rather than what
they can do for you.
♦ Use action verbs to summarize your experience, skills, and
qualifications.
♦ For clarity, eliminate unnecessary words.
♦ Aim for paragraphs approximately five to seven sentences
long.
♦ Keep your tone professional, but also interested and friendly. ♦ Be positive and enthusiastic, but avoid sounding overeager or
apologetic. For more information and examples of well-written cover
letters and resumés, visit your local library where you will find many current resources
“Team Player? Problem-Solver? There’s the Door”
The New York Times – 11 July 2004
Resume writers, take note. If you trumpet your availability to some lucky employer by saying you are a driven, detail-oriented team player with interpersonal and communication skills, and a self-motivated problem solver to boot, your resume will get said boot faster than a . . . well, never mind. According to ResumeDoctor.com, which provides resume advice, you have just piled on most of the vaguest resume phrases around. In other words, you have said nothing.
Instead, always be specific, said Brad Fredericks, a partner at ResumeDoctor. Scrap the blather and put down “what team you played for and which problems you solved.’’
Sample Cover Letter – Paragraph Style
Your addressYour city, province and postal code Date
Company
c/o UBC Engineering Co-op Office Dear Sir/Madam:
Re: Position Title or Employer Job # XXX
Paragraph 1: In a general statement, link your skills, knowledge and attributes to the job description and qualifications. Capture the employer’s interest!
Paragraph 2: Using specific examples, link your skills, technical experience and knowledge to the job description and qualifications. Make connections between relevant skills and experience on your resumé and the qualifications outlined in the job posting.
Paragraph 3: Provide additional skills or experiences that may be related to the position. This paragraph can also focus on how your transferable skills or personal attributes make you a suitable candidate for this position.
Paragraph 4: Closing statement of appreciation to the employer for taking the time to read your application or goodwill statement of positive regard for the company. If applying through ECO, add the following: To arrange an interview, please contact the Co-op Office at 604.822.6995 or [email protected].
Sincerely, Your name
36 ECO Navigation Basics
Log in to ECO
ECO can be accessed through the UBC Engineering Co-op website (www.ubcengineeringcoop.com) or directly at https:// www.eco.apsc.ubc.ca.
In order to access job postings and apply for jobs through ECO, you must have a Campus Wide Login (CWL) username and password. With your CWL username and password, UBC Engineering Co-op students can log in to the ECO website.
Note:♦the Engineering Co-op office needs to know your CWL username, but not your CWL password in order to grant you access to ECO.
To log in to ECO, click on the ‘Log Into ECO’ link on the website under ‘Students’. Once you have entered your CWL username and password, you will be granted access to ECO.
Once logged in, the navigation menu provides you with the following options:
♦ Personal Info
♦ View/Modify Work Term Profile ♦ Jobs
♦ Applications ♦ Resumés ♦ Interview
Accepting Co-op Terms and Conditions Online
At the commencement of every term, students receive a pop- up screen of the UBC Engineering Co-op Program Terms and Conditions (Terms and Conditions) when first logging into ECO. The Terms and Conditions detail the policies relating to participation in the Co-op Program, as outlined in chapter 1 of this handbook.To gain access to ECO (where you will find job postings for the upcoming work term), you must read and agree to all sections of the Terms and Conditions by clicking the ‘I Agree’ button. If you do not understand the Terms and Conditions, or if you require
further clarification prior to confirming your agreement, please contact your Co-op Coordinator.
If you select ‘I Disagree’ with any section before submitting the Terms and Conditions online form, you will be denied access to ECO and will be required to meet with your Co-op Coordinator as soon as possible to discuss your concerns and ongoing participation in the Co-op Program.
Building Your Online Resumé
In order to apply for jobs on ECO, you must have an online resumé entered in the system. To build your document, click on the ‘Resumé’ menu item on the navigation menu bar, then click on ‘Switch to the new Resumé Builder’, which will take you to the resumé page.
Create A New Resumé
In order to create a resumé you will use to apply to jobs through ECO, please click on “Start by Creating One” or by clicking on “Create a new resumé”. Please edit the name of the resumé (see “Resumé Naming Tips” on next page); once this is complete, click on the ‘Create New’ button to create the resumé. You also have the option to delete what you have done so far by clicking the “Cancel” button. Once you click on the ‘Create New’ button, ECO will take you directly to the edit view of your new resumé (refer to the “Editing a Resumé” section of this chapter) and you can begin to input your content.
NOTE:♦When creating your resumé for the first time, we highly recommend that you save it after entering data into the first text box. Return to complete your resumé by using the Edit function. Continue saving your resumé every few minutes.
Frequently saving your resumé content in the database minimizes lost information should a problem arise with ECO, your Internet connection, or your browser during the resumé creation process.