How to Write a Cover Letter

Authors & Contributors

Reviewing and revising the draft of your cover letter is a final inspection, a last check to see whether your objective is clearly stated and your scope concisely defined. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and ask whether the details are accurate and complete.

Look for obvious errors. Check for spelling, sentence structure and grammar mistakes. Your complaint should be direct and to the point, so make sure that you have used a strong active voice.

Keep in mind the overall cohesiveness of your letter. Look for accuracy, clarity and a sense of completeness. Ask yourself if the transitions between paragraphs are working and if your point of view, tone and style are consistent throughout the text.

Examine your word choices carefully. Ambiguous words lead to confusion. Jargon and abstract terms may not be understood at all and affectations, clichés and trite language serve no real purpose and will obscure your objective.

If you have not written an opening or a closing now is the time. The introduction should lead into the letter with a firm statement about the application's status. The conclusion should reiterate your objective and, when appropriate, contain an attractive inducement to a future business transaction.

At the beginning of the sample cover letter the writer explains what is contained in the accompanying package.

At the end of the sample cover letter the writer makes herself available to answer any further questions.