COVER LETTER TIPS

While your resume may indicate why you’re qualified for a job, your cover letter should highlight why you want this specific position and what specific experiences make you a qualified candidate. To best achieve this balance, your cover letter should answer a few questions:

1.     Who are you?

 Introduce yourself with your major and your year at Georgetown.

2.     Why are you writing?

Mention the title of the position that you’re applying for and how you heard about the position. Be sure to address the specific individual who will be reviewing your application and customize the cover letter for the given employer.

3.     Why are you interested in the position?

Relate the job to your own interests and experience to show a genuine interest in the employer. Focus on what you can contribute to the company and what specific skills you can add. Focus on why the company needs you, not why you need the company.  Do some background research on the company/ organization so that you can highlight where your values align. 

4.     How are you qualified?

Research the position and learn what specific skills and achievements the employer is looking for in a candidate. Use this as a base to demonstrate how your skills and achievements make you a qualified applicant. Isolate three to four specific skills relevant to the job and use anecdotes that highlight how you’ve made an impact in your prior experiences. Try to use some similar terms from the job description to show consistency between your qualifications and the requirements for the position.

Formatting & Writing Tips

-       Be personal: Show a bit of who you are through your writing and keep the reader engaged--but don’t reveal too much, save some mystery for the interview!

-      Be consistent: Follow similar font and formatting of your resume to demonstrate consistency. Align all text on the left side, no need to indent!

-       Be professional: Don’t include emojis, abbreviations (lol, idk), anything that you would write in a text.

-       Use your resources: Have friends or advisors review your cover letter for any errors!

-       Keep your writing concise: An ideal cover letter should be 3 to 4 short paragraphs!

SAMPLE COVER LETTER

*Courtesy of Cawley Career Education Center*