Sample cover letter text.

A cover letter is the first writing sample you send to a company; review it carefully for poor grammar, spelling and typographical errors.

Refer to your Career Services Manual for more examples.

25 March 1999

Dear Mr. Burns:

I learned of your opening for a software engineer through a posting in Virginia Tech's Career Services office. In May 1996, I will graduate with a bachelor's degree in computer science and would like to apply for the position at MEGATEK Corporation.

In my software engineering class, I am part of a six person software development team writing a computer-aided aircraft design program for NASA. My responsibilities include the upper level design, coding, and testing of a graphical user interface. I have a strong background in software development, including a summer internship at MITRE Corporation, and believe I can contribute significantly to the design and manufacture of MEGATEK software. Enclosed is my resume which further outlines my qualifications.

I am very interested in working for your company and would like the opportunity to discuss a position with you. I will contact you in a week to ten days to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,



Mary Beth Smith

Enclosure: Resumé

Notes:

1. Try to address the person by name rather than sir or madam.
2. The opening paragraph should state why you are writing, where you learned about the job.
3. The second paragraph should summarize a few of your qualifications.
4. A third paragraph could refer to your attached resume.
5. The closing paragraph should state your intentions to contact the addressee and perhaps thank the reader for reviewing your qualifications.

THE NEXT STEP...

How to ask for a job over the phone.....

Learn to use every contact with potential employers to your advantage. In other words, when you call an employer to inquire about possible positions or to follow up on a resume, be prepared to sell yourself.

An effective strategy includes preparing a "script" for each employer. Be sure to practice the script with friends before trying it on an employer. Be prepared to expand on many of the mentioned points after you've delivered your initial statements. Be persistent! It may take many recitations of the script, even at the same organization, before you achieve success. As necessary, change your script if some statements seem to work better than others.

Typical scripts include the following information:

YOUR NAME

Hello, my name is......

YOUR DEGREE & MAJOR

I will receive my BS degree from Virginia Tech in May and am majoring in Computer Science.

REFERRAL

Sandra Birch, our career advisor, recommended that I call you.

POSITION YOU SEEK & EMPLOYER NAME

I am seeking an entry-level programming position with American Management Systems.

YOUR SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

I have been an undergraduate consultant in the department of computer science for two years and had a summer intern experience with Systems Research & Applications.

INTERVIEW REQUEST

I would like to meet with you to discuss potential positions that AMS may have now or in the future.

For more information on cover letters see:

• Princeton Review On-line

Last updated 98/06/05
© S. Birch, 1997, 1998. Updated by J.A.N. Lee, 99/03/16.