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

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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 todays workshop? grad.uchicago.edu AGENDA 1. Is this Necessary? 2. Letters as a


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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

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grad.uchicago.edu

What brings you to today’s workshop?

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grad.uchicago.edu

AGENDA

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

  • 1. Is this Necessary?
  • 2. Letters as a Genre
  • 3. Content
  • 4. Formatting
  • 5. Practice
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So Long, Cover Letter?

  • Many industry

job openings no longer require cover letters

  • Referrals are

serving as introductions to applicants 2017 JOBVITE SURVEY

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  • 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

Not So Fast . . .

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So, You Should

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AGENDA

1. Is this Necessary?

  • 2. Letters as a Genre
  • 3. Content
  • 4. Formatting
  • 5. Practice
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  • A cover letter is an argument made to

a specific audience

Mastering the Genre

job ad audience you

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  • 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 . . .

Mastering the Genre

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  • 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

Mastering the Genre

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  • What argument is

this letter making?

  • What claims and

evidence support this argument?

  • How does the

letter speak to its audience?

An Example

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AGENDA

1. Is this Necessary?

  • 2. Letters as a Genre
  • 3. Content
  • 4. Formatting
  • 5. Practice
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  • 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

Content Overview

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  • 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

Paragraph 1: Hello There

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  • 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

Paragraphs 2-3: The Goods

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  • Conclude with

confidence

  • Reiterate your

motivations without repeating yourself

  • Give final thoughts
  • r key takeaways
  • Look forward to

future conversations

Paragraph 4: The Future

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AGENDA

1. Is this Necessary?

  • 2. Letters as a Genre
  • 3. Content
  • 4. Formatting
  • 5. Practice
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Cover Letter Formatting

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

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Formatting: 11-12 Pt. Font

AVOID Arial Times New Roman Calibri Cambria Comic Sans

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USE Garamond Georgia Palatino Linotype

Helvetica Neue Light

Trebuchet MS

  • Use the same font across all documents
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AGENDA

1. Is this Necessary?

  • 2. Letters as a Genre
  • 3. Content
  • 4. Formatting
  • 5. Practice
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  • 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

Practice

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Questions?

cwiersema@uchicago.edu

Appointments?

gradgargoyle.uchicago.edu