Fillable Printable Formal Cover Letter Format Example

Formal Cover Letter Format Example

SampleCoverLetters,Page|1



MountHolyokeCollegeCareerDevelopmentCenter

www.mtholyoke.edu

▪50CollegeStreet,SouthHadley,MA01075▪(413)538‐2080▪[email protected]

FORMALCOVERLETTEREXAMPLE



Your name

Current Address

City, State, Zipcode

Date

Mr./Ms./Dr. Name

Title

Organization/Company Name

Street Address

City, State, Zipcode

Dear Ms./Mr./Dr. Last Name:

Paragraph- State why you are writing. Name the position or the type of work for which you are applying.

Mention how you heard about the job opening. Make a claim as to why you are an excellent candidate for the

position (Hint: This is your thesis statement for the letter).

Paragraph or 2

and 3

Paragraph- This is where you will elaborate on your thesis. Do not directly

repeat information from your resume. Highlight the skills or areas of expertise you will bring to the position,

i.e., your educational credentials, employment experience, and personal attributes tha t qualify you for the position

by including specific examples from your experiences. Also, think about who the reader is: what skills are valued

in this particular field? What are some of the issues or trends this employer might be facing? How can you

make a contribution to this organization? If you’ve “done your homework” you’ll already be aware of some of

the answers as well as some terminology of the field. Reflect this awareness and knowledge in your letter.

Closing paragraph- Refer the reader to the enclosed resume. State that additional information concerning your

background and interests will gladly be furnished upon request (this includes your references). State that you

will contact them (usually in a week) to see if you might set up a mutually convenient time to meet, or that you

may be contacted at either your email address or phone. Include both your phone number and email address

because neither appears above. In the event of an on-campus interview or previously agreed upon action, state

that you look forward to talking with the employer about the opportunity in the near future. Thank the reader

for their time and consideration of your application.

Sincerely,

(Space for your signature)

Typed Name

Enclosure

Makeaphonecallortwotofindout

thecorrectname,spelling,andtitle,

oftheindividualyoushouldcontact

ifitisunclear inthejobpositingto

whomyoushouldaddressthe

letter.Ifnonameisprovided,use

HumanResources,Search

Committee,orHiringManager.

IfyouareaskedtosendyourresumeandcoverletterviaU.S.Mail,

usequalitystationaryandenvelopesthatmatchaswellasheavier

papersuchascardstock.Presentationwillbecriticalinsetting

yourselfapartfromtherestofthecandidates.

SampleCoverLetters,Page|2



MountHolyokeCollegeCareerDevelopmentCenter

www.mtholyoke.edu

▪50CollegeStreet,SouthHadley,MA01075▪(413)538‐2080▪[email protected]

COMMONCOVERLETTEREXAMPLE



Your Name

Current Address, City, State, Zipcode

Email address and Phone Number

Date

Mr./Ms./Dr. Name

Title

Organization/Company Name

Street Address

City, State, Zipcode

Dear Ms./Mr./Dr. Last Name

Paragraph- State why you are writing. Name

the position or the type of work for which you are applying. Mention how you heard about the job opening. Make a

claim as to why you are an excellent candidate for the position (Hint: This is your thesis statement for the letter).

Paragraph or 2

and 3

Paragraph- This is where you will elaborate on your thesis. Do not directly repeat

information from your resume. Highlight the skills or areas of expertise you will bring to the position, i.e., your

educational credentials, employment experience, and personal attri butes that qualify yo u for the posi tion by including

specific examples from your experiences. Some significant skills employers always seek are leadership, decision-making,

and communication. Include these if you have the experience to support such claims. Also, think about who the reader

is: what skills are valued in this particular field? What are some of the issues or trends this employer might be

facing? How can you make a contribution to this organization? If you’ve “done your homework” you’ll already be

aware of some of the answers as well as some terminology of the field of choice. Reflect this awareness and

knowledge in your letter. This paragraph is the key to differentiating yourself from the next candidate.

Closing paragraph

- Refer the reader to the enclosed resume. State that additional information concerning your

background and interests will gladly be furnished upon request (this includes your references). State that you will

contact them (usually in a week) to see if you might set up a mutually convenient time to meet, or that you may be

contacted at either your email address or phone. Include both your phone number and email address because neither

appears above. In the event of an on-campus interview or previously agreed upon action, state that you look forward

to talking with the employer about the opportunity in the near future. Thank the reader for their time and

consideration of your application.

Sincerely,

(Space for your signature)

Typed Name

Enclosure

Thisformatmimicsthatofyourresume.Ifyouaresendingthis 

coverletterviaemail,placingyournameatthetopinthesame

formatasyourresume(suchastheoneusedinthisexample)

helpstheemployerkeepallofyourdocumentstogetherduring

thehiringpro cess.It

alsolooksmoreprofessionaland

organized.

Remembertomakeaphonecallortwotofindoutthecorrectname,

spelling,andtitle,oftheindividual you shouldcontactifitisunclearinthe

jobpositingtowhomyoushouldaddresstheletter.Ifnonameisprovided,

useHumanResources,SearchCommittee,orHiring

Manager.