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What format should I use in a cover sheet?

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Posted by Your Guide on October 12, 2005 5:30 PM

Whether you send a cover sheet through the mail or give it in person, you will usually want to use a business letter format. Business letters look professional and tend to be more direct and to the point, which are good characteristics for a cover sheet.

Whenever it is possible, address your cover sheet to a specific person. Having a contact person in the company keeps your resume from falling into no-man’s land and it gives you someone to follow up with. If it is impossible to find a specific person, use a salutation such as “Dear Manager,” or something else that is gender neutral.

Many cover sheets have three sections—an opening paragraph, a body, and a closing paragraph. Your opening paragraph introduces yourself and quickly explains why you are writing. Are you writing in response to a specific job posting or are you just interested in the company or have you previously met with someone in the company? Then, move on to the body paragraph, which is the meat of your cover sheet. Why are you qualified for the job? You don’t have much space, so simply highlight one or two strong points from your resume and match those experiences and your personal characteristics with the specific job opening. Finally, in your closing paragraph, describe where you would like the hiring process to go from here. Will you follow up with them next week? How can they contact you if they have further questions?

Many companies today prefer that job applicants send their cover sheet through email, but in general, the information you provide will be the same. If you want to attach your cover sheet to an email, you should still write a short note in the email itself. If you want to include the cover sheet as your email, make sure the format will look professional to the recipient.



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