Writing
a Cover Letter
Salary History/Salary
Range
Before
You Seal the Envelope, Ask Yourself
Useful Phrases
Conclusion (3rd Paragraph)
The Thank You Note
First
Example (With article enclosure or follow up information)
Second Example (General)
Third Example
(Summer postion interview)
The purpose of a cover letter is to entice an employer
to want to interview you. Once you complete your resume,
your cover letters will take up the bulk of your time. Each
letter must be unique- do not mass mail a cover letter.
Employers respond better to letters that are obviously addressed
specifically to them. Use your cover letter to make a good
first impression.
A cover letter should always accompany a resume. It will
introduce you, be the first writing sample the potential
employer sees and will fill in any gaps in your resume.
Therefore, it must be perfect. Cover letters are short,
and should never exceed one page. The paper should match
your resume paper.
It is important to emphasize what you can bring to a job,
not just what you want to get out of it. While it is acceptable
to indicate why a position appeals to you, it is more important
to communicate what you can contribute to the employer.
Never address your cover letter to an anonymous person
like the “hiring partner”. Be sure to address
it the correct person and to spell their name right. Even
if you are responding to an ad and it tells you to address
it to the hiring partner, call and ask the receptionist
who that is and how to spell it. After meeting men named
“Kay” and “Leslie” and women named
“Ron” and “Toni”, it doesn’t
hurt to confirm gender as well.
If you have a grabber, use it in the first 5 words. (“President
Bush suggested that I apply to your firm.”; “While
interning at the US Attorney General’s Office…”;
“Having earned the number one ranking in my law school
class…”)
Structure
To start, make sure to print your cover letter on high
quality paper that matches your resume and envelope. The
envelope must be typed or printed from a computer--not handwritten.
The cover letter should be on letterhead; meaning that your
name, address, phone and email are at the top of the page,
like this:
Elizabeth Wright
143 Harold Street
Dumas, TX 34232
(345) 456-3455
ewright@yahoo.com
The date goes to the left, with a space before the name,
title and address of the person you are sending it to. Do
not send letters to “Hiring Partner” or other
anonymous people unless you are responding to an ad that
does not list the name of the firm. Otherwise, you should
call to find out to whom the letter should be addressed.
Like this:
September 13, 2003
Ms. Jennifer McAdam
Hiring Partner
Muldoon & Sullivan
PO Box 444
Stafford, NC 46564
Dear Ms. McAdam:
There is a general format that cover letters should follow.
The first paragraph should be in introduction of who you
are and why you are writing the letter. If you have a contact
at the firm (a partner or senior associate- not a staff
person or junior associate) or if someone generally well
known and respected suggested you apply to the firm, this
is where to include that information. Also, if you have
strong geographical ties to the area- especially if your
law school is located somewhere else, be sure to mention
it here. If you have no ties to an area but have reasons
for wanting to be there, add them here.
The second paragraph is where you should discuss your background,
skills and qualifications- explain why you are the best
candidate for the position. The third paragraph (optional)
should be used if you need to further explain something
in your resume or that is not obvious, or to provide examples
of your accomplishments. (“I have a proven work ethic,
having worked two full time jobs through college”)
If you are responding to a particular advertisement, be
sure to address all points in the ad. For example, if it
is for a family law position, be sure to mention your “A”
in Family Law last semester.
Use the final paragraph to close the letter and thank the
person. You should also indicate your availability for an
interview if you are visiting the city where the employer
is located. Some would advise you to indicate here when
you will be calling the employer to follow up, however many
employers find this too aggressive. The best approach is
to indicate that you look forward to hearing from them,
and then call them after a reasonable amount of time.
Salary history/salary range
The advertisement asks for a salary range. Will you pigeon
hole yourself into a low salary by mentioning a figure,
or price yourself out of an interview? Many books suggest
that you ignore the request, but there are firms that will
toss letters that don’t mention it if it is specifically
asked for in an ad. They are looking to see if they can
afford you. Be true to yourself- answer with either a range
that you honestly feel you can live with or indicate that
it would depend on the benefits package. If insurance for
your family is more important than the actual cash, say
so. (“I would be willing to discuss a salary range
of $35,000-$50,000, assuming a family health benefit package.)
Also, research what similar firms are paying in the area.
Look at the size of the firm and what type of work they
do. (For example, defense firms are always going to pay
more than plaintiff firms.)
Before you seal the envelope, ask
yourself:
? Does my cover letter say enough to get me past the initial
screening process?
? Does it focus on my skills as they relate to the employer’s
needs?
? Does it clearly state the reason for my interest in the
firm/position?
? Did I thank the employer for considering my application?
? Did I triple check for spelling and grammatical errors?
If you can check off all the boxes, send it out!
Useful Phrases
Sometimes it is hard to get started. Here are a few helpful
ideas to get you going:
Introduction (1st paragraph):
“I am applying for the associate real estate attorney
position with Muldoon & Sullivan advertised in this
week’s National Law Journal”
“Hillary Clinton suggested I contact you for information
regarding a position with Muldoon & Sullivan.”
“I have a background in chemical engineering and am
seeking a position in intellectual property with Muldoon
& Sullivan.”
“I would like to be considered for a judicial clerkship.”
(or other titles: summer internship, law clerk position…)
Relating skills to employers’ needs (2nd paragraph):
“My experience as a registered nurse may be of interest
to you.”
“I can contribute my extensive experience in ________
to your organization.” (indicate background)
“Prior to attending law school, I was a _____________
(paralegal, teacher, accountant, etc.) and developed a specialization
in _____________ (indicate area of expertise)
“I am seeking a position that would enable me to utilize
my background in _________
(indicate background) and strong ___________ skills”
(advocacy, analytical, writing, etc.)
Conclusion (3rd paragraph):
“I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my
qualifications for a position”
“I look forward to hearing from you soon”
“Thank you for considering my application”
“I am available to meet with you at your convenience”
“I will be in _______ (town) during the week of ______
(dates). I can be reached at ________ (phone number) to
make arrangements to meet with you.”
The Thank You Note
More than just a formality, thank you notes are an excellent
opportunity to clear up any issues that were left dangling
during the interview or to supplement part of your interview
discussion.
A thank you note may not help you, but not sending one
or sending one with errors will hurt you. Make sure it’s
addressed to the correct person, refers to the correct date
of the interview and is otherwise free of errors. If you
met with multiple people, you may send them each a thank
you note or just send one to the person you spent the most
time with, mentioning the others by name. If you send letters
to each person, make sure they are not identical with the
names of the people changed, as they may compare them.
Do laser print your thank you notes on high quality bond
paper.
Do send your thank you notes within 24 hours of the interview.
Do send handwritten thank you notes after an informational
interview or a particularly helpful phone call.
Don’t email thank you notes
Here are some examples:
FIRST EXAMPLE (With article enclosure or follow
up information)
Your address
Phone
Email
Date
To (double check name spelling)
Firm
Address
Dear Ms. Partner:
It was a pleasure interviewing with you on Tuesday. I greatly
enjoyed our discussion of digital signatures, and have enclosed
the article I told you about. Please express my thanks to
Mr. Soandso, Ms. Hertoo and Ms. Otherpartner. The visit
and my discussions with all of the interviewers further
heightened my interest in YourFirm.
You may recall that you asked about a professor you had
at our alma mater, Ms. Smart. I have since found out that
she now works for the New Jersey Environmental Protection
Agency, and can be reached at 555-555-1212 or smart@nj.gov
.
Again, thank you for your time and consideration. I look
forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
YourName
SECOND EXAMPLE (General)
Your address
Date
Interviewer’s name
Address
Dear Mr. Interviewer:
Thank you for the time you spent with me in Atlanta last
Friday.
I found the interview and tour of your offices most informative
and exciting. You provided me with much greater insight
into the firm and reinforced my desire to become associated
with You, YourPartner & OtherPartner. Based on our discussion
regarding my strong interest and recent experience in the
area of personal injury, I am certain I can make a positive
contribution to the firm.
If you need any additional information to assist you in
the decision-making process, please let me know. [or: I
have enclosed an article I wrote/edited/additional information
you requested to assist you in the decision-making process.]
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Sincerely,
YourName
THIRD EXAMPLE (Summer position interview)
YourAddress
Date
Interviewer’s name
Firm
Address
Dear Ms. Hiring Partner:
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me on Friday,
December 13, 2002. I enjoyed meeting with you to discuss
the summer law clerk position available with your firm.
I am very enthusiastic about the summer position because
of my strong interest in intellectual property law. I believe
that your firm would provide me with valuable knowledge
and experience as a law clerk. I especially enjoyed discussing
patent law issues [or a specific pending case- use the common
name, such as “the DuPont v. Lewis case” ] with
you and how they relate [it relates] to your practice.
If I may provide you with any additional information, please
do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.
Sincerely,
YourName
ASL
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