This presentation will discuss cover letter writing

1. Career Development and
Management

2. What is the Purpose
of the Cover Letter?

3. ONE THING
“Writing the cover letter is the ONLY time in the
job search process when you have complete
control. You can shape the letter to tell the reader
exactly why you are the right person for the job.
Don’t waste the opportunity with a boring, long,
unbelievable and generic cover letter.”

4. Cover Letters
• A cover letter
– Expresses interest and qualifications for a particular position
– Personal but professional
– Tailored to position/company
– Explains how you fit with organization
– how you will help them
– Expands main points from your resume
– It’s the trailer NOT the movie

5. Cover Letters
• You should have available
– The job you are applying to
– A personal assessment of where you match to their job
– An understanding of key values of the company
• Tailor your Cover Letter Based on Research
– Mission Statements
– Understanding based on company website
– Goals or Achievements they are proud of

6. • Heading
– Heading from Resume
– Include Contact Information
• Greeting
– Address to a person not company
– OR use “To Whom it May Concern”
OR use “Dear Hiring Manager:”
• Intro Paragraph
• Body Paragraph
– Aim for 2-3 sentences
• Closing/Call to Action
• Salutation

7. 3 BASIC RULES
1.Be Brief
2.Be Memorable
3.Be specific

8. MOST STUDENT COVER LETTERS ARE
1.Long & Boring
2.Forgettable & Random
3.Generic & Plain

12. Research the Posting• Who we want:
– Eager to support a busy marketing team while contributing fresh insight
– Works best in a fast paced environment and simultaneously managing
multiple projects
– Strong attention to detail creatively and analytically
– A (healthy) competitive spirit
Resourceful and successfully navigates a vague task
• What’s in it for you:
– Become savvy in Apple reporting systems and how to tell a story from data
– Fully own an individual project with strategic business impact Network and
learn about multiple functions (Digital, Supply Chain, Finance, R&I and Sales)
– Participate in formal and informal training Develop presentation skills and
business acumen from leading brand managers in the CPG industry
– Bragging rights and tangible results that will be used long after your internship

13. Cover Letter to Include
• Eager to support a busy marketing team while contributing fresh insight
– When have you worked on a team?
– When have you had a new idea to create something?
• Works best in a fast paced environment and simultaneously managing multiple
projects
– When have you had to work quickly?
– What evidence do you have managing multiple tasks (academic and non-academic)
• Strong attention to detail creatively and analytically
– When have you needed to be creative?
– Have you had to analyze anything?
• A (healthy) competitive spirit
• Resourceful and successfully navigates a vague task

14. Stacy Jones
1234 Broadway
New Orleans, LA 20118
(212) 555-1122
October 16, 2017
Jenny Lockridge
Apple College Program
1234 Any St.
San Jose, CA 00000
Dear Ms. Lockridge:
After speaking with Emily Richards about her past summer in the internship program, I am very interested in your
Digital Marketing Summer Program. I worked with an online retailer this fall 2017 as a campus brand
representative to drive interest in their website. I have obtained many leadership opportunities while working as a
Student Manager in the Lavin Bernck Center for Student Life which is our university center at Tulane.
As a Student Manager with the LBC, I was primarily responsible for updating and maintaining the digital and
physical signage around the building as well as training new student staff and providing support for the activities
of the LBC. In addition, I was also assigned the task of monitoring and responding to social media requests that
came through our Twitter and Facebook feeds. I believe as a member of the Digital Marketing Summer Program I
can bring that same level of professionalism and leadership to this opportunity. I could use all of these skills while
learning more about digital marketing and working with Apple to create a valuable online experience.
Thank you for considering me for this position. I would love to discuss these and other qualifications with you. If
you have any questions, please call me at 212-555-1212 or e-mail me at sjones2@tulane.edu
Sincerely
Stacy Jones
,
Stacy Jones
Enclosure: Résumé
Student Address
Date
Salutation
Middle Paragraph
Employer Address
First Paragraph
Conclusion
Closing

15. Header
• Try to address to a
specific person
• Research online to
see where they are
located to find
address
Your Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Date
Name of Contact Person
Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Ms., Mr., Dr., (etc):

16. First Paragraph
• Purpose:
– Get the reader’s attention
– Introduce yourself
– Explain purpose of letter
– Explain why interested in the position or the company
• Culture?
• Approach?
– Preview the rest of the letter

17. After speaking with former intern Emily Richards about
her summer at Apple, I became very interested in your
Digital Marketing Summer Program. I believe I have the
work ethic to perform well and have a few recent
experiences that would help me be successful in this role.
I have made a commitment to digital marketing as a
career goal and have been looking to improve my
understanding of the industry all throughout college.

18. Middle Paragraph
• Highlight skills and benefits to the company
• Emphasize interest in the company
• Provide concrete evidence
– See where you match the position
– Pick 1 or 2 examples or experiences to highlight
• Make them relevant
• Make it quick
• Don’t overemphasize your willingness to just work there

19. This past semester I worked with an online retailer
as a campus brand representative to drive interest
to their website. In addition, I obtained digital
marketing leadership opportunities while working
as a Student Manager at our campus student
center where I had responsibility for several tasks
as well as digital marketing.

20. As a Student Manager with our Student Center, I am primarily
responsible for updating and maintaining the digital and physical
signage around the building as well as training new student staff. I
also provide support for the activities in the building. In addition, I
was also assigned the task of monitoring and responding to social
media requests that came through our Twitter and Facebook
feeds. I believe as a member of the Digital Marketing Summer
Program I can bring that same level of professionalism and
leadership to this opportunity. I could use all of these skills while
learning more about digital marketing and working with Apple to
create a valuable online experience.

21. Thank you for considering me for this position.
I would love to discuss these and other
qualifications with you. If you have any
questions, please call me at 212-555-1212 or
e-mail me at sjones2@tulane.edu
• Conclude with next step
• Provide contact information

22. As a cashier, I was responsible for accurately
totaling customer purchases, providing answers
to questions and processing transactions.
• Language:
Weak Language:
I worked as a cashier at the golf club
Strong Language:

23. • Unprofessional language/texting
• Length
- Letter should only be one page
• Strongest and most relevant qualifications
should be highlighted
• Easy to read
• This is YOUR MOMENT TO IMPRESS

24. WRAP-UP
• Appeal to company values, attitudes, goals, projects,
etc.
• Explain how you will help organization
• Elaborate on the information in your resume
• Provide evidence of your qualifications
• Proofread carefully for grammatical and
typographical errors

25. ASSIGNMENT FOR CANVAS
• Identify an actual internship posting you would want to apply to
• It needs to be online and current
• Create your cover letter to apply for that internship
• You can be creative with your experiences based on what you
hope to do
– Clubs/Organizations
– Summer Activities
– Jobs or other internships
• Use the elements discussed in class
• Upload in Canvas before next class

26. But wait there’s more…
Resume Class
Assignment