The purpose of the cover letter is to express your interest in working for the employer and to introduce yourself and highlight and emphasize some of your most outstanding qualities, skills and experiences. Your cover letter should be descriptive and persuasive and entice the employer to want to read your resume. A cover letter should accompany each resume you submit. While you can refer to items in your resume be careful not to duplicate what is stated in it. You can expand on experience and important points on your resume or parts of your background not mentioned in your resume. While a resume provides information about what you have done in the past, your cover letter provides the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and abilities you would bring to the position. Each cover letter should be specific to the firm/organization and position for which you are applying. Research the firm/organization and the job posting carefully and relate your qualifications and experience using keywords from the posting. It is very important that your cover letter does not come across as generic or a form letter. Cover letters should exude enthusiasm, sincerity and genuine interest in the position and firm/organization. The cover letter should be clearly and concisely written and kept to one page. It is a business letter and should convey professionalism. Like your resume, accuracy and formatting are key. If your cover letter is poorly written, contains typographical and grammatical errors and misspellings, it is quite likely that your resume will not be read. The cover letter is, in effect, a writing sample. As with your resume, be sure to proofread your cover letter, viewing it as though through the eyes of the employer. Use the same font style as your resume and if you are sending hard copies, the same quality resume paper. Use consistent margins at the top, bottom, and sides. When creating your cover letter be sure to emphasize your qualifications and what you can contribute, rather than what you are hoping to get from the position. It is certainly acceptable to be enthusiastic about the experience you would gain, but the reader is interested in what you will add to their organization. There are two kinds of cover letters: those in response to a job posting and letters of introduction that are unsolicited. STRUCTURE OF A COVER LETTER Every cover letter should contain the following: YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION Your contact information may appear at the top of the letter, like on a letterhead. Consider using the same format as your resume. Include your name, mailing address, preferred telephone number and email address. DATE Include the date on which the letter is to be submitted. Write the date out in full (e.g., January 19, 2017).
READER S ADDRESS BLOCK Mr., Ms. or Mrs. First Name Last Name Title Firm or Organization Name Street Address City, State Zip Code OPENING SALUTATION Whenever possible a cover letter should be addressed to the appropriate person. If you are uncertain to whom to address the cover letter, research the employer and do your best to identify the appropriate person. In general, address the reader as Ms., Mr., or Mrs., followed by their last name with a colon : not a comma, as in informal letters. Be sure you spell their name correctly. If you are unable to identify a person to send it to, do not use To Whom It May Concern, instead address it to Dear Hiring Manager: INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH The opening paragraph should briefly explain your reason for writing, such as in response to a job posting or at the suggestion of an individual. Introduce yourself to the reader by acknowledging your status as a student or recent graduate. Indicate your knowledge of the employer by including what interests you about the employer s business or practice areas and commitment to the community, clients, and so on. BODY Use the middle paragraph(s) as an opportunity to really distinguish yourself from other applicants. Demonstrate that you have credentials the employer is seeking by integrating language from the resume as it relates to the job posting. If your letter is unsolicited, adapt your experiences, skills and interests to fit the firm/organization as best as you can and express your interest in working for them. Often small law firms do not have websites, or if they do, they may not post positions on the site. Conduct online searches to find out the areas of law they practice and community involvement. If you are applying for a position outside of your current geographic area, you may want to express your interest in the area, making it known that you are serious about relocating to the area. Firms may invest considerable time and resources in a summer associate in hopes of having viable candidates after graduation. You certainly are not committing to a long-term arrangement, but expressing an interest or ties to the area can help your chances of becoming a candidate to consider. CALL TO ACTION CLOSING The closing paragraph is your call to action. Thank the reader for his or her consideration of your application. Indicate that you look forward to hearing from them. CLOSING SALUTATION Sincerely or Respectfully YOUR SIGNATURE AND NAME First and last name, or if you go by middle name use first initial of first name with middle name spelled out YOU ARE NOT ALONE: If creating your cover letter is daunting, don t stress out, just do the best you can then have it reviewed by Career Services. Email it to j-ward.2@onu.edu We are here to help you!
HAILEE MICHAELS 14 South Main Street Ada OH 45810 Phone #: 419-615-7787, Email: h-michaels@onu.edu January 19, 2017 Ms. Julia Landers Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marshall County Prosecutor s Office 224 Main Street. Suite 311 Hayslett IN 42673 Example of cover letter that will be mailed as a hard copy or will be saved as a pdf as part of an application packet. Dear Ms. Landers: I am writing to apply for the intern position in the Juvenile Division. I am a first-year law student at Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law in Ada, Ohio. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 2013. This position is of interest to me because of the opportunity to learn more about Juvenile Court from the Prosecuting Attorney s perspective. Based upon my experience working with troubled youth and juvenile delinquents, my goal is a legal career working with juveniles. As you will note in my enclosed resume, I had the opportunity to work at the U. S. Department of Justice sponsored Boot Camps for Juvenile Offenders program in Cleveland, Ohio. As a counselor, I worked with youth ages 12-16 who were assigned to the camp as an alternative to juvenile detention centers. The goal of the program was to rehabilitate and decrease recidivism. Among my responsibilities was the creation of a program that helped the juveniles learn behavior/consequent structures and helped them determine what triggered their socially unacceptable behavior. This understanding and close work with children, along with extensive research on juvenile offenders would be beneficial as an intern in the Juvenile Court. Ultimately, we all want to achieve a balance of consequences for illegal offenses and rehabilitation when possible. My experience as an intern for the Juvenile Justice Coordinator at Chance for Children in Baltimore working with juveniles, their parents, attorneys, social workers and others involved in juvenile cases would enable me to work well with those involved in juvenile cases. I appreciate your consideration of me as a candidate. Please let me know if you would like additional information or would like to set up an interview. I can be reached at 419-615-7787 or h-michaels@onu.edu. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Hailee Michaels Enc.
Example of body of an email if you are sending application materials by email. The date and your contact info will be included in the email. SUBJECT LINE: Application for Internship in Juvenile Division Dear Ms. Landers: Attached you will find my application materials of cover letter, resume, and writing sample for the intern position in the Juvenile Division. Please let me know if you would like additional information. I appreciate your consideration of me as a candidate for this position. Regards, Hailee Michaels
Isaiah Williamson 1117 Lasalle Street Grand Prairie TX 75052 207-888-9912 i-williamson@onu.edu January 19, 2017 Mr. James Perotti Perotti, Campbell and Snow, LLC 7891 Camp Wisdom Road Grand Prairie TX 75052 Dear Mr. Perotti: I am writing to inquire about the possibility of a summer internship with your firm. I am a first year law student at Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law in Ada, Ohio. I would like to return to the Grand Prairie area to practice law once I have completed my law degree and passed the Texas State Bar Exam. I look forward to getting experience in the Mid-Cities region and developing relationships within the legal community while a law student. Perotti, Campbell and Snow, LLC s practice areas of civil and criminal defense is of particular interest to me since I am interested in litigation. As you will note in my enclosed resume, I had the opportunity to intern for the law firm of Donnelly, McCracken and Jacks, in San Marcos, Texas while pursuing my Criminal Justice degree at Texas State University. I conducted case research, assisted with trial preparation, and managing client intake. I am detail-oriented and strive for accuracy in my work. Thank you for considering my application for employment. I will be in Grand Prairie on spring break, which is March 6-10. If it would be convenient for you, I would like to meet with you to discuss the opportunity to work at your firm. If you would like to talk by telephone before this, please call me at 207-888-9912. Sincerely, Isaiah Williamson Enc.