Cover Letter Sample

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

These past few weeks, I am thinking of starting another category for this blog. I want to offer more help to my readers and so I decided to have a tips category that will help my readers to achieve those financial goals.

Nowadays, because of the global financial crisis and job lay offs around the world, it’s tough to apply in different companies. It’s hard to lose a job especially when you have a family to feed. Because of this, I decided to write a post on cover letters that will help my readers in getting the job that they are applying.

But before anything else, what are cover letters? Cover letters are introduction letters accompanied by a resume in your job applications. This usually gives the employer a brief background about you before they look into the details of your resume. In practice, cover letters should not be longer than one page and contain a maximum of 3 to 4 paragraphs.

Let’s now go to the details of a cover letter. A cover letter generally has 4 parts: Header, Introduction, Body and Closing.

Header: Cover letters generally use the standard business format. The header includes date, the name to which the cover letter is addressed, the position of the person and the name of the company. This is followed by a salutation such as Dear Sir or Dear Ma’m. There should be two spaces between date and the addressee name.

Introduction: The introduction part of the cover letter briefly states how you get to know the job vacancies (company’s website, job website, newspaper ads, tarpaulin and billboard ads, etc.) and specifies the position desired. The introduction should be designed to catch the employer’s immediate interest. From the salutation, there should be two spaces before the first paragraph that contains the introduction.

Body: The body part of the cover letter is where you should highlight why are you interested in the position. Write your own skills, interests, qualifications, and achievements in previous employers which you deem to be beneficial to the open job position. Prove to them that you are a fit to the job opening. There should only be one space in between each paragraph of the body.

Closing: The closing part of the cover letter sums up the whole cover letter. It also indicates the next step that you as an applicant expects to take. It usually involves statements such as “I look forward to hearing from or speaking with you” or “I look forward in discussing how my skills can be of value to your company”. After the closing line, then you should affix a closing salutation such as “sincerely yours” and then a signature line. There should be two spaces between the last sentence and the closing salutation.

For the benefit of my readers, I would like to share with you a sample cover letter - my very own cover letter which I submitted in one of the prospect employers several months ago.

[Date]

[Name]
[Job Title]
[Company Name]

Dear Sir:
I was browsing Jobstreet and thought of submitting my resume for the position of Competitive Intelligence Analyst. Industry wise, I am into the investment banking industry particularly distressed debts and assets. I have been awarded the degree of Bachelor of Science Major in Mathematics from Ateneo de Manila University last 2004. I am innovative and has the “can-do” optimistic attitude towards life and work in general.

I was one of the pioneer employees of Capital Servicing here in Manila, Philippines. It was the asset management arm of the vulture fund set up by the former global investment banking firm Lehman Brothers. Bulk of my career was spent as an underwriter, a distressed debt analyst where I performed due diligence on several distressed debts and assets composed of non-performing loans and foreclosed idle assets of banks from analyzing recovery strategy to closing of deals.

Aside from this, I also did some asset management work from time to time that led to the recovery of distressed investments from coordinating with litigation lawyers including the disposal of scrap materials for which I contributed Php 3.5 Million to the collections of the company.

Furthermore, I also have an extreme interests in entrepreneurship, finance & economics, and investments like stock market, real estate, trust funds, and mutual funds. This is very evident in my blog entitled “Millionaire Acts”.

Currently, I am Research Analyst which belonged to a virtual team providing support services to the Financial, Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy Practice Group in North America of the global firm Baker & McKenzie. My main tasks are to provide research to Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings and to research companies in financial turmoil.

I look forward to discussing how my skills can be of value to your company. Attached is my resume for your review and consideration.

Sincerely Yours,

Tyrone Charles O. Solee

Now, there’s a saying that first impression lasts. When the employer called you for an initial interview, be ready to prove yourself to them. Speak with confidence and intellect for all the things you’ve written both on your cover letter and your resume.

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