Cover letters

Society Business and Career
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Okay this is a really dumb question, but when you’re emailing for a position.. is the text you write in the email considered the cover letter? Or does it have to be a separate attachment (just liek the resume)? I’ve seen job listings that ask for the CL n resume for attachments, BUT what about those that don’t specifY?

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Re: Cover letters

is the text you write in the email considered the cover letter? - YES

Will you take.... where???
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Re: Cover letters

Hmm okay coz thats what i been doing but ive seen listings that ask for a CL as an attachment.. in that case, just leave hte email blank?

I know its not minor things like that that matter, its experience/skills that matter above all.. but it doesnt hurt to get it xactly right haina :halo:

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Re: Cover letters

yeeh..NEVER leave an email blank...write atleast a couple of lines..expressing your interest and then refer the reader to the attachments..

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Re: Cover letters

I've never left an email blank, though i think i may have messed up on teh cover letter part.. bu ti know better now

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Re: Cover letters

That’s actually a good question… I usually include the cover-letter as both the email as well as an attachment for two reasons:

  1. a lot of times, the email is going to an assistant who then prints out the application package with the CV and the letter and forwards it to the decision maker(s).

  2. with an email, I use plain text to make sure that the recipient doesn’t face problems reading it, but in the attached letter, I can use whatever formatting I want to highlight specific aspects of the letter.

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Re: Cover letters

If I post my cover letter here, can i be sure there will be constructive comments/critique and NOT just bakwaas? :-|

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Re: Cover letters

yes u can be sure...i for the most part maintain a constructive and serious persona on the c&a forum.

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Re: Cover letters

OKay gud..

Well here it is so far.. i know this much, its highlighting my skills and experience. This is the general template i will use [if its appropriate] and if the job description calls for it I’ll include any coursework I’ve done thats relevent to it..

It looks short on here, but wheN I put it in proper formatting on MS Word, it fills up one page [double spaced]. .. :halo:

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Re: Cover letters

try to find the name of the person who this letter is addressed to. It’s always better than saying “whoever it concerns”.

“Since I have worked in Athletics I understand the importance of teamwork so I am a team player so I know I will work well in a team setting”. - Reword this. I don’t know if it’s gramtically incoorrect or not, but this sentence just seems worded a lil weird. Just count the number of "I"s in the sentence. Maybe break it out?

“I am confident that the skills I have developed over the last three years working for the [job 1] , [job 2] and [job 3] will make me an asset to this firm.” - what you did in those 3 jobs relate to what ur applying for? or the law firm for that matter. If so, then perfect. If not, then i’m kinda on the border on this one. cuz afterall one always learn from bring in a job no matter what it is. So its better if u can make a direct link.

"I am an intelligent and hardworking individual and I am sure that I am appropriate for this position. " - same thing with rewording.

Also, try using some big words like Diligent, tenacious, etc. Look them up in a therasus and make sure you use them in correct context. That would make the cover letter more professional.

All in all, looks good. Good work :k: and best of luck.

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Re: Cover letters

Lussi, usually a name is given, but in the job listing theres NO name given...

Those jobs DO relate to the job i'm applying for now coz of the skills i used.. i only put job 1, 2, 3 only coz i didnt wanna give hte name of the places i worked.. lolz.. but since i 've never done work in the legal field, i'm mainly trying to focus on watever skills i've learned n developed..

Another thing i'm slightly confused about is the "i have minimal xperience" ONLY because i've heard conflicting advice regarding, not xposing your weakness and negating yourself.. versus if you are upfront adn honest about your weakness, it shows the person reading that you are confident and honest and willing to address your shortcomings? but something tells me that the latter is better suited for experienced candidates, NOT beginner/entry-levels like me :$

I'm an English/writing major.. this stuff shud be easy for me :(

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Re: Cover letters


well the firm that you're writing to is probably not dumb. they can easily figure out by themselves if you have enough relevant experience or not. So personally I'd "admit my weakness" and tackle it head on. However; do you want to reveal this on your cover letter? or do you want to address it during the interview. Thats your call.

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Re: Cover letters

Yeah, thats wat i’m leaning towards.. no BS, jsut be upfront abt it, so I don’t get all my hopes up by going to an interview and then getting rejected for that.. it is a pickle..:hmmm:

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Re: Cover letters

I think, you should not mention the "minimal experience" in the cover letter. As lussi said, I think it is better handled in the interview. No intention of deception but first impression which is through the cover letter should be positive.

Good Luck with your endeavors!

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Re: Cover letters

Mentioning minimal experience is a No-No... you should be applying to jobs where you've determined that you either have the skills and qualifications or at least the aptitude to work.

If experience is so important, then let the firm screen you out after looking at your resume... don't make them short-circuit you from their selection process at step 1 (cover letter) - at least have them proceed to step 2 to glimpse over the resume'.

I agree with Lussi's suggestions... you will need to reword the cover letter to embellish it with some more action verbs. Also when you note your jobs in the second para... make sure that you're able to answer the "so what?" for the person who's reading your resume. This is to say that you need to map some of your experiences in jobs1,2,3 etc. to the requirements of this job and make this very explicit in the cover letter.

Lastly, in terms of the structure, you need to start general in terms of your qualifications, then be specific for a couple of paragraphs highlighting the relevance of your experience, and then be general again in asserting your suitability for the job.

Hope this helps.

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Re: Cover letters

Firstly on the subject of e-mail Vs attachment, normally the secretary (etc) would print out the e-mail and attach it to the CV & the letter before submitting it to the manager. I would prefer a letter rather than an e-mail as it shows that the candidate has put some effort in the process but dont leave the e-mail blank either.

Within the letter, you need to make yourself stand out from the others and show the employer how valuable you are to them. Start off by reading the advert carefully and highlight key skills and attributes required for the role. Then after a brief intro, write about the qualities you think are essential for the role and try to convince them that you have the right skills by giving practical examples wherever you can.