1. welcome to
COMM 202
Tutorial #5 Ÿ TA: Laura Wong Ÿ Thursday, Mar 6
Introduction to COVER LETTERS
1. Importanc
e

2. eModules recap:
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BTW
A RESUME & COVER LETTER?
R 1 minute

3. Importance of Cover letters
• Lets employer know your intentions
• Demonstrates written communication
skills
– ZERO mistakes
• Elaborate on your stories
– Use your Skills Matrix
WHY YOU?

4. Demonstrates the 3…
Can
I do the
job?
Do I
Want
the job?
Am I a
good
Fit?

5. But remember…
RESUME
is about
YOU…
COVER LETTER
is about
THEM
and WHY you make
a good match!

6. 5 essential elements
Opening
Integration
Closing
Branding/Tailoring
Skill-Matching

7. 1) The Opening
Intro to the hook
Interest/Passion + Company Fit +
Summarize Skills
(+ optional name drop)

8. Activity:
IN GROUPS OF 6, CREATE A
HOOK
R 5 minutes

9. 2) Skill-Matching
Skills (from Skills Matrix)
+
Experience (2-3 examples)
+
Education (how you will leverage
BCom)
+
Matching Qualifications
(any other qualifications that set you
apart)

10. 2) Skill-Matching
Context
Action
Result
Link
Each paragraph proves that you have the
necessary skills to be successful on the job
Don’t forget to always link back to the job
posting!

11. 3) Branding/Tailoring
• About leaving a good
impression
• Must be consistent
throughout your cover
letter
• Make sure it fits with both
the company’s values,
culture, and your
expectations
• Use industry jargon/
company-specific
language

12. 4) Closing
• Your chance for
final impression!
• Restate your skills,
but use different
wording
Summarize strengths
+ Show your passion
+ Thank them
+ Use a call to action
(follow up)
“Mr Smith, thank you for looking at my application. I
hope that I have shown you that my interpersonal
skills, my leadership skills, and my ability to perform
on a team make me a perfect fit for ABC position. Thank
you very much and hope to hear from you soon.”!

13. 5) Integration
• Visual matching: your cover
letter & resume must use same
formatting
• Do NOT send in generic cover
letter & generic resumes (big
part of your grade is matching!)
– There are 400 of you in COMM
202, and even more applying for
your dream job. Find a way to
stand out.

14. What Else?
• Cover letter allows you to address any
“elephant in the room” situations (e.g.
relocation, bad grades, etc.)
• Word choice – overly emotional words
(“deeply honoured”, “it would be a
blessing…”)
– Want to show that you are on an equal playing
field and are qualified for the role
• Grammar & spelling – 2+ mistakes = -40%!

15. Olympics Analogy

16. 3 key takeaways from today?
1. Important to grab reader’s attention with a good hook
2. Resume is about YOU, cover letter is about THEM
(company)
3. Address elephants in the room as necessary (grades,
relocation)

17. Action Items
þ Cover Letter Assignment
Ø Write your cover letter draft
Ø Bring two printed cover letter drafts to next tutorial for
peer review
Ø Final Resume & Cover Letters due Mar 21st, 2PM
Ø Group Office Hours (next week)
Ø Sign up on COOL
Ø Bring your resumes & cover letters
Next week: TUTORIAL