Writing Cover Letters: Cover Letter Checklist
by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., and Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Your cover letter (also sometimes referred to as a letter of
introduction, letter of application, or employment letter) is a vital
part of your job-search correspondence package.
Think your cover letter is ready to be seen by employers? To be sure,
use this checklist to guarantee that you've written the most dynamic
(and powerful) cover letter possible.
Cover Letter Checklist for Job-Seekers
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Cover Letter Basics:
Appearance and Inclusion of Vital Information:
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Is it an original letter rather than a mass-produced copy? |
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Is the letter in a standard business-letter format?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Is it clear where the employer can reach you during business
hours? Have you ensured that either a person or a machine will take
the employer's call? |
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Is the letter neat and attractive? |
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Have you enhanced the letter's reader-friendliness through use of
bullets or other special formatting?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Is it no longer than one page? |
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Have you signed your name boldly and confidently? |
Writing Style:
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Is every word spelled correctly? Is all grammar, syntax,
punctuation, and capitalization correct? Is the letter free of
typographical errors? See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Does the letter tell why you are writing, as well as grab the
reader's attention in the first paragraph?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you used action verbs? See our
Job-Seeker Action Verbs, as well as
this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Is the letter concise and to the point?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Does it avoid such cliches as "I have taken the liberty of sending
my resume enclosed herewith"? |
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Have you avoided such phrases as "I feel" and "I believe," which
tend to weaken and dilute the statements you make about yourself? |
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Is the letter sharply focused? Have you avoided needless detail
and autobiographical ramblings?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
Tone and Appeal to the Reader:
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Is it confident without being arrogant? |
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Is it interesting? |
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Does it project the image of a person the employer would like to get to know better?
See this page of our
Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you read it from the employer's perspective? |
Avoidance of Major Cover-Letter Mistakes:
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Is it addressed to a named individual (unless it is a response to
a blind ad)? See this page of our Cover Letter
Tutorial. |
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If it's a response to a blind ad, is the salutation
nonsexist? See this page of our
Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you left out everything negative?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Is it specific? Have you spelled out what kind of job you're
looking for?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial and our article,
Cover Letter Success is All About Specifics. |
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If it's in response to an ad, does the letter speak to the
requirements of the position? See this page,
as well as this page, of our Cover Letter
Tutorial. |
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Have you told the employer what you can do for the company rather
than what the company can do for you?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you requested action and told the employer you'll call for an
appointment? See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you used caution with "willing to learn" statements so the
employer isn't reminded of training time and expenses?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you avoided pleading for favors or sounding desperate and
"willing to do anything?" See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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If you're a recent grad, have you avoided over reliance on an academic frame of reference? |
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Have you avoided rewriting/rehashing your resume in your cover letter? |
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Have you avoided describing your personal objectives in vague terms? |
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Have you avoided listing hobbies or interests unless relevant to the position? |
Enhancing the Value of your Cover Letter as a Job-Search Marketing Tool:
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Have you added more credibility to the value judgments you make
about yourself by attributing them to a professor or former
employer(s)? For example, "My former employers can attest that I am a
motivated hard worker." |
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Have you taken advantage of your networking contacts by referring
to someone the employer knows?
See this page, as well as
this page of our Cover Letter
Tutorial. |
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Have you presented your Unique Selling Proposition?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you made use of the use of PEP Formula?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you listed accomplishments? See our article,
For Job-Hunting
Success: Track and Leverage Your Accomplishments. |
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Have you quantified and given examples of accomplishments that
demonstrate your skills wherever possible?
See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you demonstrated your knowledge of the company you're writing
to? See this page of our
Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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If a college student or new grad, have you made the most of your
college experience? See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Have you ensured that your letter is not too skimpy and doesn't
depend too much on your resume to do the work for you? Have you
elaborated on your qualifications, transferable skills, and your fit
with the position? See this page
of our Cover Letter Tutorial. |
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Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our
Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate
publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author,
and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers,
edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling
in the job search at A Storied
Career. Katharine, who earned her PhD in organizational behavior
from Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH, is author of Dynamic
Cover Letters for New Graduates
and A Foot in the Door: Networking
Your Way into the Hidden Job Market
(both published by Ten Speed Press),
as well as Top Notch Executive Resumes
(Career Press); and with
Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters
, Write Your
Way to a Higher GPA
(Ten Speed), and The Complete Idiot's Guide
to Study Skills
(Alpha). Visit her
personal Website
or reach her by e-mail at
kathy(at)quintcareers.com.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers,
one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of
EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of
Quintessential Careers Press,
including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter,
QuintZine.
Dr. Hansen is also a
published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often
quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is
also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his
personal Website or
reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.
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