Cover Letters fo for Ind r Indus ustry try, , No Nonp npro - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cover Letters fo for Ind r Indus ustry try, , No Nonp npro rofits fits, an , and G d Govern rnme ment nt grad.uchicago.edu

What brings you to today’s workshop? grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

So Long, Cover Letter? 2017 JOBVITE SURVEY  Many industry job openings no longer require cover letters  Referrals are serving as introductions to applicants grad.uchicago.edu

Not So Fast . . .  Cover letters are still a best practice for job seekers  Why? Some hiring managers consider cover letters a must , and they use letters to evaluate candidates  Even if a recruiter ignores the letter, going the extra mile will never count against you grad.uchicago.edu

So, You Should grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

Mastering the Genre  A cover letter is an argument made to a specific audience you job ad audience grad.uchicago.edu

Mastering the Genre  Your argument should be supported by claims and evidence  Claim: I can provide data-driven solutions to your clients’ business challenges.  Evidence: During my recent internship, I . . . grad.uchicago.edu

Mastering the Genre  Good cover letters make arguments, but there is no one right way to write them  Your tone, content, and even format may differ depending on your audience  How might you write differently for a tax consultancy (Deloitte) vs. a digital media company (Buzzfeed)?  Read examples in your field grad.uchicago.edu

An Example  What argument is this letter making?  What claims and evidence support this argument?  How does the letter speak to its audience? grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

Content Overview  You can write a solid cover letter in just four paragraphs  These four paragraphs . . .  Introduce you to the hiring manager  Provide evidence that you are a fit  Show knowledge of the organization  Reveal your motivations for applying  Demonstrate writing skills grad.uchicago.edu

Paragraph 1: Hello There  Provide an introduction  Why are you writing?  Why are you interested?  Who have you talked to?  What will you bring to the table?  Your main claim usually comes at the end of paragraph 1 grad.uchicago.edu

Paragraphs 2-3: The Goods  Begin body paragraphs with strong claims  Provide 1-2 examples as evidence of each claim  Bring it back to them (state how past experiences apply to this new setting)  Show, don’t tell, and don’t repeat the resume grad.uchicago.edu

Paragraph 4: The Future  Conclude with confidence  Reiterate your motivations without repeating yourself  Give final thoughts or key takeaways  Look forward to future conversations grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

Cover Letter Formatting Your contact info Recipients’ full address Date Address a real human One page in length Physical signature

Formatting: 11-12 Pt. Font  Use the same font across all documents AVOID USE Garamond Arial Georgia Times New Roman Calibri Palatino Linotype Cambria Helvetica Neue Light Comic Sans Trebuchet MS grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a Genre 3. Content 4. Formatting 5. Practice grad.uchicago.edu

Practice  Read the job ad  Working with a partner, outline some claims that you would want to make in your cover letter  Then, brainstorm some potential evidence that you could provide in support of your claims  We’ll discuss the results as a group grad.uchicago.edu

Questions? cwiersema@uchicago.edu Appointments? gradgargoyle.uchicago.edu grad.uchicago.edu