LEOLEO: Literacy Education Online

Purposes and Information

In general, the purpose of cover letters is to interest prospective employers enough so they call to schedule an interview. To fulfill this purpose, you'll need to target each cover letter to a specific company and position, showing how your background and abilities fulfill particular company needs.

Generic letters written to prospective employers are not enough. Those hiring will see such general letters for what they are: they'll realize that you haven't invested much time or effort in researching their company and writing an individual letter. And they probably won't invest their time by interviewing you.

You'll find that time spent to research the company, to determine how you're going to pique your readers' interest, and to write a letter convincing a prospective employer that your background matches company needs is well worth the effort.

Particular Purposes and Information

Cover letters are sales letter. Essentially, you're targeting your credentials to a particular market -- one company -- and persuading that company to make the buy. To fulfill this overall purpose, you'll need to achieve several goals in your letter:

  1. Your letter should provide readers with some insight into you as an individual. Draft your letter in a way that shows how you as an individual will fit into the organization.

  2. Use key terms from the ad or job description that are clearly relevant to your background.

  3. Structure your letter so that each part achieves these particular goals:

General Cover Letter Tips are also available.

More general information -- General ResumeTips -- offers an overview of resume writing, includingexplanations of the major areas on a resume, writing tips, and sampleresumes.


© 1995-2004 The Write Place

LEO: Literacy Education Online

Last update: 7 May 2004

URL: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/coverlet/purpose.html