Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
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What is a Cover Letter?
• Introduces you and your resume to a prospective employer
• Provides employers with important information concerning who you are and why you are
applying for a particular position
• Focuses on your skills, knowledge, interests, experiences, and work habits related to the
position sought
• Well written cover letter can be the reason someone brings you into an interview
• Most standard cover letters are 3-5 paragraphs depending on your experience
Cover Letter Rules
• Use a block style business letter format and keep it to a
single page (see graphic)
• Always tailor your cover letter to a specific company by
showcasing your knowledge of the company
• Point out your major “selling points” from your resume
that strongly match the job description
• Stand out in a cover letter by demonstrating excellent
writing skills
• Use the job description to identify the aspects that a given
industry or company is looking for and list the experiences
and skills you possess that “answers” their interest
• When addressing the contact of the position, be sure to
make this as personalized as possible. Do not say “To
whom it may concern”, instead do your research using
resources, like LinkedIn, to find the point of contact .
Address the contact using “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Jones:”.
This is your opportunity to share your story by showcasing your strengths and experiences!
Anita Diaz
123 Street Rd. | Greensboro, NC 27410 | (555) 555-5555 | anitadiaz123@g mail.com
October 8, 2019
Bill Glover Jr., Vice President
Glover Marketing Group
8910 Main Street, Suite 408
Greensboro, NC 27406
Dear Mr. Glover:
After speaking with Mr. Doe, VP for Sales about Glover Marketing Group,
I am very interested in the Public Relations Internship. I will be graduating
from UNC Greensboro in May with a major in International Business and am
seeking an internship where I can apply my education, technology skills, and
multicultural perspective.
As you will note in my resume, I participated in the College Internship
Program at Walt Disney World (WDW). I signicantly improved my
interpersonal communication skills while successfully maintaining customer
loyalty. I interacted with hundreds of guests of varied backgrounds on a daily
basis, providing them with service to eectively meet their needs and keep the
“magic.” While at WDW, I developed valuable transferable skills and plan to
use this background with your international clients.
In addition to my internship, studying abroad gave me the ability to
communicate cross-culturally and gain insight into international business
etiquette. In a class project, my group developed a marketing strategy for a
company’s new product. We conducted research and compiled results in a
presentation and recommendations. As the facilitator, I delegated tasks and
assigned positions. We even earned an A on the nal project. For more on our
project, check out my LinkedIn prole.
I would love the opportunity to discuss the Public Relations Internship with
you further in a personal interview. I believe that with my prior experience
and skills, I would be a tremendous asset to your company. Thank you for your
time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Anita Diaz
Anita Diaz
Block Style Cover Letter
What is a Cover Letter?
Milestone 3
PROMOTE
Develop Your Brand
Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
vmock.uncg.edu
Emailing a Cover Letter
Communicating professionally is essential when exchanging emails with potential employers.
You can save your cover letter as a PDF and attach it with your resume separately
in the same email -OR- you could make the body of your email your cover letter.
Below are some tips to ensure that your email etiquette is always professional.
Subject Line
Always include a specific subject line that
is related to content of the email:
• “Application from Joe Smith for job #573”
• “Referred to you by LeAnne Crate at UNCG”
• “Question about internship from a UNCG student”
• “Request for informational interview
from UNCG Media Studies major”
• “Application for Marketing Internship (#622)”
If You’re Emailing a Cover Letter...
• Don’t start your cover letter with “Hey”
or “Hi” if you’re communicating with
someone for professional purposes
• Address point of contact using “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Jones:”
• Proofread and send yourself a copy of the email before sending it to the
employer, to ensure attachments and content is in the correct format
• Use appropriate grammar, spelling, sentence structure and
paragraphs in the email and cover letter
Email Style Cover Letter
Subject: Application for Retail Management Trainee position
Dear Ms. Smitheld:
I am interested in the Retail Management Trainee listed on Handshake. I have
researched Target’s web page and I am very impressed with your commitment to
guest service and your employee development training. I will be graduating from
UNC Greensboro (UNCG) in May and am pursuing a retail management position.
As you will note in my resume, I have had meaningful experience in retail sales
and customer service. My positions at The Gap and Lucky 32 have given me the
ability to work with a wide variety of clientele. I seek to always improve a customer’s
experience and value being able to help others. As a management trainee, I would
utilize my strong communication skills to work with customers and my team.
In addition to my work experiences, I have experience in leadership and
management. As President of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, I had the opportunity
to create a fundraiser for our philanthropy, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Through
coordinating the event logistics, marketing the event to the students at UNCG,
and managing my sorority sisters to volunteer, I increased my management
skills. The event drew a record attendance and brought me a personal sense
of accomplishment. I am looking for an opportunity to further develop in this
way and believe the Management Trainee program can provide that.
I would love the opportunity to speak with you regarding this position.
Should you need additional information, please call me at (336) 545-5454.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Natasha Gomez
Emailing a Cover Letter
Milestone 3
PROMOTE
Develop Your Brand
Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
vmock.uncg.edu
To be approved in Handshake, the cover letter must meet the following guidelines:
Appearance and Format
Cover letter is one page in length and in business letter formatting
Cover letter is written for a specific position
Language is professional and there are no grammatical or spelling errors
Standard font (such as Times New Roman, Arial, Palatino) and sizes (10–12pt.) used; matches resume
Contact Information
Your contact information is first, followed by the date
Address of the company is below the date and above the body of the cover letter
Greeting indicates name of appropriate contact and ends with a colon (i.e. Dear Mr. Jones:)
If no name can be found it is addressed Dear Search Committee or Dear Hiring Manager (not To Whom it
May Concern)
Introduction Paragraph
Includes reason for applying and how you learned of the job opening
Summarizes strongest qualifications by emphasizing relevant skills that you bring to that company/organization
Demonstrates interest in the company/organization and the position
Body Paragraphs (1-3 paragraphs)
Clearly shows knowledge of the company and the position
Uses specific examples from past work/volunteer/education to demonstrate how your qualifications
match the organization’s needs
Utilizes action-oriented verbs to communicate past accomplishments
Focuses on how your experiences/skills can help the organization accomplish its goals
Does not duplicate content word for word from the resume
Conveys enthusiasm for the position
Avoids repetitive phrasing (Not every sentence begins with “I” or “My”)
Conclusion Paragraph
Expresses interest in an interview
Includes contact information for the employer to contact
Thanks the recipient for their time and consideration
Closing
Signs o with a professional closing (i.e. Sincerely,)
Includes signature (a script font or photo of signature preferred)
Cover Letter
Approval Checklist
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PROMOTE
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Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
vmock.uncg.edu
Your name (You can also put your Resume Header here in place of your information)
Your street address
City, State, Zip Code
Date
Ms. Jane Employer
Title
Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Ms. Employer:
Introduction paragraph: Gain the attention of the reader by introducing yourself. Begin with a
sentence describing you—your major, school, and status (seeking full-time, internship. part-time). Tell
why you are writing; name the position, eld, or general career area in which you are interested. If you
were referred by a mutual contact, immediately explain the connection and tell how you heard of the
opening or organization. Mention any connection you have to the company. Mention why you want
to work in this geographic area, especially if applying to positions out-of-state or outside the Triad.
Body paragraphs (1-3 paragraphs): You can split this paragraph into two to three paragraphs to
address your interests and qualications. Your rst body paragraph can demonstrate why you are
interested in working for the company. Tell why you are particularly interested in the employer, location,
or type of work. This demonstrates that you know about the company and the job description specically.
The second paragraph highlights why the company should choose you. Mention one or two of your
qualications that you believe will be of greatest interest to the organization, gearing your remarks
to their point of view. If you have related experience or specialized training, be sure to point it out.
Refer the reader to your attached resume for additional information concerning your background and
qualications. Many times you want to include multiple stories and examples. Just keep it to one page.
Conclusion paragraph: Close by reiterating your strengths, skills, and expertise. Summarize your
key qualities. Express interest in speaking further. Provide your contact information (phone number
and email address). Lastly, thank the employer for his/her consideration of your application materials.
Sincerely,
Yr Siature
Your Typed Name
Take a photo of your
signature and scan it into
MS Word as a .jpg to place
in your cover letters.
Cover Letter Template
Milestone 3
PROMOTE
Develop Your Brand
Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
vmock.uncg.edu
Anita Diaz
123 Street Rd. | Greensboro, NC 27410 | (555) 555-5555
anitadiaz123@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/anita-diaz-0864e46a
October 8, 2019
Bill Glover Jr., Vice President
Glover Marketing Group
8910 Main Street, Suite 408
Greensboro, NC 27406
Dear Mr. Glover:
After speaking with Mr. Doe, VP for Sales about Glover Marketing Group, I am very interested in
the Public Relations Internship. I am intrigued by the company’s values of building relationships with
clients and supporting international businesses. I will be graduating from UNC Greensboro in May
with a major in International Business and am seeking an internship where I can apply my education,
technology skills, and multicultural perspective.
As you will note in my resume, I participated in the College Internship Program at Walt Disney World
(WDW). I signicantly improved my interpersonal communication skills while successfully maintaining
customer loyalty. I interacted with hundreds of guests of varied backgrounds on a daily basis, providing
them with service to eectively meet their needs and keep the “magic.” While at WDW, I developed
valuable transferable skills and plan to use this background with your international clients.
In addition to my internship, studying abroad gave me the ability to communicate cross-culturally
and gain insight into international business etiquette. In a class project, my group developed a
marketing strategy for a company’s new product. We conducted research, and compiled results and
recommendations in a presentation and recommendations. As the facilitator, I delegated tasks and
assigned positions. We even earned an A on the nal project. For more on our project, check out my
LinkedIn prole.
I would love the opportunity to discuss the Public Relations Internship with you further in a personal
interview. I believe that with my prior experience and skills, I would be a tremendous asset to your
company. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Anita Diaz
Anita Diaz
Cover Letter Example
Milestone 3
PROMOTE
Develop Your Brand
Career & Professional Development
#1 EUC | 336.334.5454
careers@uncg.edu | cpd.uncg.edu
Drop-in M–F, 10 am–4 pm
No appointment needed!
Upload your resume to VMock
and receive instant feedback
vmock.uncg.edu
Subject: Application for Retail Management Trainee position
Dear Ms. Smitheld:
I am interested in the Retail Management Trainee listed on Handshake. I have researched
Target’s web page and I am very impressed with your commitment to guest service
and your employee development training. I will be graduating from UNC Greensboro
(UNCG) in May with a degree in Consumer, Apparel & Retail Studies and I am pursuing
a retail management position. As you will note in my resume, I have had meaningful
experience in retail sales and customer service. My positions at The Gap and Lucky 32
have given me the ability to work with a wide variety of clientele. I seek to always improve
a customer’s experience and value being able to help others. As a management trainee,
I would utilize my strong communication skills to work with customers and my team.
In addition to my work experience, I have held leadership roles on campus. As President
of Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, I had the opportunity to create a fundraiser for our
philanthropy, Make-A-Wish Foundation. Through coordinating the event logistics, marketing
the event to the students at UNCG, and managing my sorority sisters to volunteer, I
increased my management skills. The event drew a record attendance and brought me
a personal sense of accomplishment. I am looking for an opportunity to further develop
in this way and believe the Management Trainee program would be an ideal t.
I would love the opportunity to speak with you regarding this position. Should
you need additional information, please call me at (336) 545-5454. Thank
you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Natasha Gomez
Cover Letter Email Example
Milestone 3
PROMOTE
Develop Your Brand
