Skip Navigation
*site
map
The purpose of a cover letter or letter of interest is to introduce
your professional background to the employer.
It is also intended to highlight some of your skills, convince the
prospective employer that you have something valuable to contribute and that it would be
worth their time to interview you.
Sample Letter of Interest as |
MicroSoft Word Document as
|
Adobe Acrobat Portable Document
Format(PDF) as |
Rich Text
Format(RTF)
Download the free Microsoft
Word Viewer or Converter
Download the free Adobe Acrobat
Reader to access PDF documents.
Top of page
Always
Never
- Type your letter.
- Use quality bond white or off white paper. Avoid the appearance of a photocopied letter.
- Address your letter. You may direct your letter to the Hiring Department or Recruiter or simply begin the letter
without a salutation.
To Whom It May Concern is another option for a salutation.
- Send an original.
- Your letter should not be repetitious of your resume.
- Be sure your letter is errorless. Proofread, and have others proofread for you too.
- Sign your letter.
Note: Typing your letter of interest would be best. However, a hand
written letter would be
better than not submitting one when it is requested.
- Exceed one page.
- Indicate hobbies, sports and social activities.
- Include irrelevant personal information such as; age, marital status and social security number.
- Lie.
Top of page
- Paragraph 1: Why are you writing? Mention how you found out about the
position (what source did you find the job) in the first paragraph. You may
also indicate specific information about the vacancy such as; the job title,
requisition number, department, etc.
- Paragraph 2: Why should they hire you? And why do you want to work for
them? Identify your unique strengths and attributes that could benefit this
position. Sell yourself! You could use this opportunity to specify any
experience or education you have that the department advertised.
If a department is asking for experience in a specific area that you are lacking
but have been educated in that area, mention your education. Turn a negative into
a positive.
- Paragraph 3: You could include a third paragraph if there is additional
information, which has not been mentioned on your resume or needs to be
described in detail (i.e. your cooperative education experience or gaps
in your employment history). This paragraph is optional.
- Paragraph 4: The close. Ask for an interview. Also invite them to contact you
and give them a phone number where you can be reached. You may also
thank them for their time or consideration.
Remember that your letter of interest will be a reflection of you. You
may be
specific about your experience and education that the department is asking, but
your letter should not be repetitious of your resume.
Since it is recommended that your letter of interest be typed, if you
do not have
access to a typewriter or computer, you may use this equipment at the
Manhattan Job Service Center. Their phone number is (785) 776-8884 and they
are located at 6th and Humboldt, Manhattan, KS. You must make an
appointment to use their equipment.
Top of page
How you come across during an interview could be just as important as
your
experience and job talents.
Prepare for your interview:
- Double check the date, place, phone number and person(s) who will be
conducting the interview. Be certain you have written this information down
correctly.
- Learn about the position and how your previous experience and education
qualify you for this job.
Note: Position descriptions are on file with our office for your
review. You may
also access our web site to view our vacancy list and position description at
http://www.ksu.edu/hr/vac.html. To view a position
description on our web site, click on the position number.
The interview:
- Be on time!!! If you are unsure of the location, visit the place before your
interview.
- Dress properly.
- Avoid fidgeting, chewing gum and use of slang or local words. The
interviewer not only asks questions, they also observe.
- Ask when they will be notifying you or when you may call about a decision.
Afterwards, think over how the interview went. Did you represent
yourself and your skills
sufficiently? Did you ask all the questions you wanted to ask? What might you do differently
in the future? Write a thank you letter.
If you are not offered the position, ask the interviewer why. Were you
lacking something they
needed? This may be useful for future interviews.
Top of page
It is recommended that you follow up your interview with a brief thank
you letter.
Employers like a conscientious employee, and by sending a thank you letter you are
showing that you know proper business etiquette and appreciate the opportunity they
have extended to you.
Top of page
- Thank the employer for his or her time during the interview.
- Mention some of the things you learned during the interview, specifically
those things you feel you are qualified to do. For example, "I was especially
excited to learn that you are looking for someone with QuarkXPress
experience. As you may recall my mentioning, I have over five years of experience
designing brochures using QuarkXPress."
- If you forgot to mention something during your interview, include it in the thank
you letter.
- Invite the employer to contact you for more information, if necessary.
- Mention that you are looking forward to the employer's decision.
- Be sure to sign your letter.
Top of page
Recognition goes to:
Cover Letter Writing Tips
University of Missouri-
Columbia
USM Writing a Cover Letter
http://www.usm.maine.edu/csce/STUDENTS/Workshops/ResumeWriting.htm
Resume Writing Center-Cover and Thank You Letters
Kansas Department of Human Resources-Tips for Finding the Right Job!
Download this page
as PDF
to print.
Download Adobe
Acrobat Reader to access PDF documents.
