COVER LETTER

What do Employers really look for?

Most Important Factors in Recruitment:
1. Enthusiasm for position
2. Personality
3. Transferable skills
4. Potential for advancement
5. Good Academic record
6. Relevant Work Experience
7. Specialist Subject Knowledge
8. Personal Interests

For Cover Letters

Ask yourself First …
1. what jobs are you applying for ?
2. what skills, knowledge and tasks are required of them?
3. the components of cover letter and Résumé,
4. the types of Résumé
5. the language styles of cover letter as well as business letter in general.
6. What experience are you offering?
7. When do you need one?
8. Why do you need one?
9. What will you accomplish with your cover letter?
10. How can you use your cover letter for networking?

The Covering Letter

 A covering letter should be sent along with your Résumé , it provides you with the
opportunity to show your commitment, focus, and enthusiasm. These are some
questions often associated with the covering letter.
 Who should You address it to?
It should be addressed to the person who will be dealing with your application, check
the company website or phone up if you need to.
Tips for Creating a Powerful Cover Letter
 Send an original letter
 Keep it short, specific, and to the point
 You CAN use several basic cover letter
templates, customized for the particular position and company to which you are
applying
 State the job title
 Explain why you want this job
 NOT to “make money”
Letter Format
 Your Contact Information
 The Date
 Employer’s Name, Position, and Address
 The Greeting
 Introductory Paragraph
 Body of the Letter
 Summary Paragraph
 Closing
Your Name and Signature

Opening Information
Street Address
City, Zip
Telephone Number

Current Date

Employer’s Name
Title
Department
Organization
Street Address
City, Zip

Dear Mr./Ms./ Dr./ Individual’s Name:

Sample Intro Paragraph
I am responding to your ad in News Paper (name) for a position as a (Position). My experience
and education make me an excellent candidate for this position.
BODY OF THE LETTER
 Elaborate on your Résumé
 Use real examples (mini-STARs)
 State applicable work/internship experiences
 List relevant coursework
 Stress your key assets as they relate to this specific job
 Highlight applicable skill sets
 technical skills
 writing ability
 proficiency in languages
 job-applicable personal interests
 Make reference to attachments
 Sample body
 Limit paragraphs to two to five complete sentences
 Use appropriate vocabulary
  My career has been built in non-profit management, commercial banking, public
finance, accounting, management, law and human resources. My success has come
from identifying, leveraging, and combining my skills and knowledge with my passion to
achieve. I have consistently met, even exceeded, the expectations of my employers.
CLOSING
 Ask for an interview
 Indicate your next action
 Appropriate closing line, such as:
Sincerely,
Truly yours,
 Typed name
 Enclosure:
 cc: (indicates to whom a copy has been sent)
Sample Closing
 I would like to discuss this position with you in person. Please feel free to contact me
with any questions you have. You may reach me at 880-12-345-6789 or
myname@southern.edu.bd.
 Thank you very much for your consideration.
 Sincerely,
 Your Name
 Enclosure: Résumé
EVERY WORD COUNTS
 Use powerful action verbs (See examples)
 Search out appropriate self-descriptive adjectives
 Use a thesaurus to select precise words
 What five key descriptive words will your letter convey?
No-no’s
 Glib or cute
 More than one page
 Too many attachments
 Errors in grammar or spelling
 Too little information
 Non-standard terminology
 ……and, watch out for
 the “Notorious Confusables”….

REVISE, EDIT, REWRITE

 Proofread the next day
 No errors are allowed
 Read the letter aloud
 Seek advice from qualified sources such as career counselors, professors, business
associates, relatives, and friends
THE FOLLOW-UP
 Encourage communication
  Enclose a reply postcard
 Request an email reply
 Suggest dates and times for an interview
 Follow up with a phone call (Be careful not to annoy the recruiter)
 Request an application form- Deliver it Personally
 Advise the employer when you will call to schedule an interview
 SHOW PERSONAL INITIATIVE, NOT OBNOXIOUS PUSHINESS
Online Applications

 Increasingly popular with large employers

 Fast and efficient – scan for key words
 Helpful hints
 Download form and practice
 Prepare longer answers, cut and paste
 Use buzz words,
 Spell check, proofread
 Print preview, save regularly
 print completed copy and send
 Very time-consuming – allow plenty of time
 Practice with ‘Select Simulator’
 Résumé, Bio-data & Curriculum Vitae(CV)
General Guidelines
 Research the companies you are applying for well, and address what they need in your
Résumé and cover letter.
 Be self-assertive and matter-of-fact; do not exaggerate or flatter.
 Be concrete: use verbs more than adjectives.
 Appearance matters

Designing a standard Résumé/CV

 There is no such thing as a perfect Résumé/CV,
 different companies and industries look for different things
 it is important that you tailor your Résumé to the job that you are applying for.
 Regardless of company, a Résumé should always be designed to the highest standard.
What is a Résumé and why is it important?
 The Résumé is a professional marketing tool
 Should focused of your education, professional experience and skills that is useful and
relevant to a future employer.
 always required to provide a Résumé when applying for a job or work experience,
 Make sure spend time preparing and presenting it correctly.

Essentials
 Before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper.
 Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience & extracurricular
activities.
 This will make it easier to prepare a thorough Résumé.
What is a Résumé and why is it important?
 The Résumé is a professional marketing tool
 Should focused of your education, professional experience and skills that is useful and
relevant to a future employer.
 always required to provide a Résumé when applying for a job or work experience,
 Make sure spend time preparing and presenting it correctly.

Difference among CV, Résumé and Bio Data

 People use the words Résumé, C.V., and BIO-DATA interchangeably for the document
highlighting skills, education, and experience that a candidate submits when applying
for a job.
On the surface level, all the three mean the same. However, there are some differences.
Objective or Summary
An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.
 Be specific about the job you want. For example: To obtain an entry-level position
within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.
 Tailor your objective to each employer you target/every job you seek.

An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.
 Be specific about the job you want. For example: To obtain an entry-level position
within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.
 Tailor your objective to each employer you target/every job you seek.
 What should You include?
Include the job reference or description you are applying for. It is recommended that
you outline any special circumstances that you have not covered in your Résumé for
example a disability. You should write about what you can offer the company, referring
to your relevant skills. To do this successfully you should research the company first.
 How should you produce it?
Stylistically is should be similar to your Résumé showing that you have thought about its
design, it is far too easy to thrash out a covering letter after spending a long time on a
Résumé.
 Résumé
 Résumé Is a French word meaning "summary", and true to the word meaning, signifies a
summary of one's employment, education, and other skills, used in applying for a new
position.
 A Résumé seldom exceeds one side of an A4 sheet, and at the most two sides.
 They do not list out all the education and qualifications, but only highlight specific skills
customized to target the job profile in question.
 A good Résumé starts with a brief Summary of Qualifications, followed by Areas of
Strength or Industry Expertise in keywords, followed by Professional Experience in
reverse chronological order.
 A Résumé seldom exceeds one side of an A4 sheet, and at the most two sides.
 They do not list out all the education and qualifications, but only highlight specific skills
customized to target the job profile in question.
 A good Résumé starts with a brief Summary of Qualifications, followed by Areas of
Strength or Industry Expertise in keywords, followed by Professional Experience in
reverse chronological order.
 Focus is on the most recent experiences, and prior experiences summarized.
 The content aims at providing the reader a balance of responsibilities &
accomplishments for each position.
 After Work experience come Professional Affiliations, Computer Skills, & Education

Education
 New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational
information first. Alumni can list it after the work experience section.
 Your most recent educational information is listed first.
 Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution attended,
minor/concentration.
 Add your GPA if it is higher than 3.0.
 Mention academic honors.
Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of work that has taught you skills. Use action words to
describe your job duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order—that is,
put your last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job. Include:
 Title of position,
 Name of organization
 Location of work (town, state)
 Dates of employment
 Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

Personal Details
These details should be short and to the point, and should be limited to key information
such as name and contact details.
  Achievement / Awards / Competitions
In this section you can include information on shows you have been a part of, awards
obtained or included in collections.
 Key Skills
In this section you should provide employers with a break down of your key skills. You
should be prepared to provide evidence of these skills if asked, so tell the truth. You
should break down your skills into manageable sections, such as creative, time
management, IT etc.
 References
Optional on a CV, it can be better to provide references on request.
 Designing a Multimedia CV
The multimedia CV is seen as an essential tool for any artist, no matter the discipline. They can
range from fully functioning websites to interactive presentations such as DVD based animation
show / CV.
 Content
The content will be pretty much the same as a standard CV although the inclusion of
your address and telephone number is not always necessary as your website will be
accessible to anyone.

C.V. - CURRICULUM VITAE

 C.V Is a Latin word meaning "course of life". Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) is therefore a
regular or particular course of study pertaining to education and life.
 A C.V. is more detailed than a Résumé,
 usually 2 to 3/4 pages, but can run even longer as per the requirement.
 A C.V. generally lists out every skills, jobs, degrees, and professional affiliations the
applicant has acquired, usually in chronological order.
 A C.V. displays general talent rather than specific skills for any specific positions.

Bio Data
 Bio Data the short form for Biographical Data, is the old-fashioned terminology for
Résumé or C.V. The emphasis in a bio data is on personal particulars like date of birth,
religion, sex, race, nationality, residence, martial status, and the like.
 Next comes a chronological listing of education and experience.
 The things normally found in a Résumé, that is specific skills for the job in question
comes last, and are seldom included.
 Bio-data also includes applications made in specified formats as required by the
company.
 A Bio-data, include personal particulars.
Avoid mistakes like…
 1. Having a Résumé that is too long
 2. Using fancy paper
 3. Using a fancy font
 4. Filling the Résumé/CV with irrelevant information
 5. Including outdated information
 6. Misspellings
 7. False information on Résumé/CV
 8. Attachments
 9. Saying too much
 10. Leaving out the cover letter
Tips Résumé, Bio-data & Curriculum Vitae(CV)
1. Determine your job search objective prior to writing the Résumé.
2. Think of your Résumé as a marketing tool.
3. Use your Résumé to obtain an interview, not a job.
4. Use bulleted sentences.
5. Use action words.
6. Lead with your strengths.
7. Use buzzwords.
8. Accent the positive
9. Show what you know.
10. Show who you know.
11. 11. Construct your Résumé to read easily.
12. 12. Have someone else review your Résumé.
13. 13. Submit your Résumé to potential employers.
14. 14. Do not use a Microsoft Word Résumé template.
15. 15. Use a laser printer.
16. 16. It is safe to use a conservative font, such as Arial or Times New Roman.
17. 17. Font size should be 12-14 points.
18. 18. Use 8 1/2½ x 11½ paper, printed on one side only.
19. 19. Use high quality Résumé paper.