Cover letters

Download this recommended format to get familiar with the standard features of a formal cover letter, along with more detailed advice about the letter itself. Many elements of a cover letter derive from a pre-digital world where letters got physically mailed, but some employers still value adherence to these conventions.

A cover letter often serves as an informal writing sample, so proofread scrupulously.

Let the job ad tell you which aspects of your experience to emphasize in the cover letter. Your work or leadership experience will be of more interest to some employers than your major, GPA, and academic strengths. The list of “requirements” (sometimes headed “qualifications” or “successful applicants will have…” or similar language) in the job or internship posting will state the employer’s priorities, so make sure that your cover letter foregrounds them.

Writing cover letters can be challenging, even if you are well-qualified and enthusiastic about the positions. If you find yourself procrastinating or seeking out openings that don’t require cover letters, here are some tricks for getting started:

1. Draft the letter in the third person (“Pat is…”), from the standpoint of someone who knows you and likes you and is writing about why you are a good fit for this position. Just be sure to revise it into the first person (“I am…”) before you send it!
2. Write the cynical, snarky, self-deprecating version of the letter. Get it all out of your system. THEN write the real letter, the one that could actually get you an interview (because you do, after all, want that job).
3. Think about the judgmental reader you’re imagining, who casts doubts on every sentence you write. Picture them in your mind, then add scales, talons, fangs, slime, horns…turn them into a monster. Then push that monster out an imaginary window. Replace the monster with someone kind and professional, who wants to see you succeed. Then write to THAT person.
4. Forget about the letter format for a moment. Grab a blank sheet of paper, and try the Telling My Story: “Top Ten Reasons” or “Mind Mapping” brainstorming activities shared by the Peer Mentor team in the Lisnek LAS Hub. These get you thinking in big picture, creative ways, but also lead you to great content for the tricky core section of a cover letter.

• Describe your experience using the employer’s language. Use the job/internship posting to make a word-bank of terms that get repeated in the ad, phrases that convey the organization’s mission and priorities, and industry-specific language that is central to the role. Draw on that word-bank to describe your strengths and experience.
• Consider your audience. Employers for a research role will appreciate a factual, straightforward approach. Organizations hiring creatives or salespeople will respond well to a “pitch.” If you’re applying to a mission-driven nonprofit, it’s important for your commitment to that mission to come through. It’s okay to sound like yourself: excessive jargon and inflated language appeals to no one.
• Edit out “I feel,” “I believe,” “I think,” and similar formulations. They clutter up your sentences and convey a lack of confidence. The letter format already makes it clear that you are communicating your feelings, beliefs, and thoughts.
• Avoid slang, contractions, and abbreviations including the ones we use here every day like UIUC, LAS, ENGL, PSYC, and RSO.