Your cover letters to organizations should always be carefully written to not only introduce you to an employer, but also communicate your potential value and capture the employer's interest in you as a viable candidate. 

Many job seekers fail to spend enough time and effort composing effective letters.

It is important to remember that employers often receive more than 100 applications for every open position. Both your resume and your cover letter must make you stand out from other applicants.  

Other forms of job search correspondence are also important reflections of you as a candidate and/or future employee of the organization.  Thank you letters should be sent immediately following information or job interviews.  Follow-up letters and status inquiry letters help keep the lines of communication between you and the employer open and reaffirm your interest in the position and organization.  Letters to accept or decline a job offer help ensure that there are no misunderstandings between you and an employer.

Below is a list of common job search correspondence with explanations and examples of each letter type.

• Cover Letter (letter of inquiry, letter of application)

• Thank You Letter (follow up letter)

• Status Inquiry Letter

• Letter to Accept Job Offer

• Letter to Decline Job Offer

General Tips for All Letters

• Professional written communication abilities is an important factor that employers use in evaluating and comparing job candidates.  Be sure to demonstrate strong writing skills in each letter.

• Tailor each letter to fit the specific situation.  Each letter must be an original.

• Keep letters to a single page.

• Proofread each letter carefully for misspelling, grammar or typographical errors.  Do not rely on a word processing spell-check to catch all your errors.

• Have someone else critique your letter.

• Use standard business style format and 8 1/2" x 11" paper.

• Word process or type all letters and envelopes.

• Use quality neutral colored paper.  

• Keep copies of all correspondence for follow-up purposes.

Additional Career Services Resources

Letter Critique Service.  Students can have their job search correspondence letters critiqued by a member of the Career Services staff.  Bring a copy of your draft letter and schedule a review or drop-in appointment in the Career Services Office.

Resource Books in Career Library

• 200 Letters for Job Hunters by William S. Frank

• Cover Letters that Knock 'em Dead by Martin Yate

• National Business Employment Weekly COVER LETTERS by Taunee Besson

• The Overnight Job Change Letter by Donald Asher