Personalization

• Address letter to person with hiring power.
• Do not address your cover letter "To whom it may concern."
• State the position sought, organization name, and if appropriate, the geographic location.
• Match your strengths and abilities to the organization's specific needs.

Do not state verbatim the information on your resume.
Provide additional information and details which are not on your resume.



Length

 Cover letters should be one page in length.

Appearance

• Arrange cover letters using a standard business format.
  Use bolded or enlarged type or underling for emphasis.

Word Choice

• Use positive words and/or action verbs capitalizing on your strengths.
• Avoid cliches and trite language.
• Avoid repetition and, or nondescriptive words including "is," "or," "was."
• Do not abbreviate, or use unnecessary jargon.
• Use concise, specific statements and short paragraphs.
• Paragraph should contain one main idea and should not exceed a length of 6 lines.
• Vary your sentence structure so sentences do not contain excessive use of the word "I."
• Focus on how you can benefit an employer or company versus what you hope to gain in obtaining the position.

Proofreading

• Misspellings, grammatical errors, improper punctuation are unacceptable.
• Cover letters must be well organized.
• Avoid overly long descriptions and a disorganized format.
• Make sure the company name and title are consistent in the letter.