Cover Letters

Any resume you send out must be accompanied by a cover letter. Just as the interview is your opportunity to make a good first impression on a personal level, the effective cover letter does the same thing in written form. A good cover letter may make the difference between your resume being considered or by-passed in the initial reading process by the employer.

A cover letter should accompany each resume that you send out. It should be individualized to the employer to whom the resume is being sent. The cover letter allows you do the following:

• Show that you've done your homework about the position.
• Emphasize how your background makes you a good candidate.
• Suggest how your skills meet the employer's needs.

You do not want to restate your resume; rather you want to create an interest in your professional abilities so that the resume is reviewed.

The cover letter should be only one page in length and clearly written. You want to state your interest in the position and highlight information that indicates that you can meet the employer's needs. You want to close your cover letter by making yourself available for a personal interview. Again, that's the purpose for the resume and cover letter - to get an interview so that you can talk to the employer face-to-face about your interest, skills, and ability to meet their needs.

As with the resume and all other employment related correspondence, your cover letter must be neat, with no errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. The cover letter should also be produced from a laser writer on high quality paper the same grade and color as your resume to make the most favorable, professional impression. Employers may assume that the quality of the letter and resume that you write will be an indication of the type of work that you will produce.

If you do not hear from the employer following your cover letter and resume, you may wish to send a follow-up letter. Don't send out so many resumes that you can't effectively follow up. To do so could harm your opportunity with a prospective employer who you ignore in the follow-up process. This letter should be sent only after at least two weeks have passed with no response from the employer. The purpose of the follow-up letter or phone call is to insure that your cover letter and resume arrived and to check the status of the position being filled. With any follow-up activity, you want to be professionally persistent, not aggressively annoying. You want to demonstrate your enthusiasm but not be pushy.

After your resume and cover letter have accomplished the mission of gaining you an interview and you have completed the interview process, the thank-you letter is a necessity. Thank-you letters can distinguish you from the crowd. It should be sent as soon as possible after the interview to the primary contact person with the organization. You should also send them to any other people in the organization with whom you interviewed or met. The thank-you letter that is well written and professional does the following:

• Relates your skills more clearly to the job you're seeking.
• Tells the employer you are serious about the position.
• Lets the employer know why you want to work for the organization.
• Reinforces the favorable impression made during the interview.

You may be applying for several positions at one time. If you are extended an offer by one employer and decide to accept it, a letter of withdrawal is a courtesy you owe to the other organizations to which you have applied. You have an ethical and professional obligation to inform all other employers of your decision and to withdraw your application from consideration. This assists the employers with their search for a candidate and creates an opportunity for another candidate to be considered in a more timely fashion.

This is the format that should be used not only for third year students and recent graduates seeking a permanent position, but also for first and second year students looking for summer or part time legal experience. Keep a copy of all correspondence with each employer for your own records and future reference. Having these copies on file will make any subsequent job search go smoother and more efficiently.