North Central Texas College Library

Cover Letters: Self Promotion

Remember To Always—

*Seek guidance from profes-

sors and other work profes-

sionals when in doubt.

* Write, re-write, and re-write

again.

* ALWAYS run a spell and

grammar check before sub-

mitting to a potential employ-

er!

Your Cover Letter—Your

Cover Letter is a one page

letter sent with your resume or

curriculum vitae (CV) provid-

ing more detailed information

on your professional skills and

experiences.

Cover Letter Structure: Out-

line & What to Include—

*Opening: Who are you? Why

are you applying? Establish a

point of contact, and intro-

duce yourself.

*Body (2-3 paragraphs): Share

how your education and skills

meet the position require-

ments, elaborate some key

resume points and what you

can contribute to the compa-

ny.

*Closing: Respectfully request an

interview and tell the employer

what all you are sending them

(resume, cover letter, CV, etc.).

Most important, thank them for

their time.

What To Avoid—

*Regurgitating all resume infor-

mation verbatim.

*Underselling your skills

*Making the cover letter too

short or long.

*Failing to personalize.

Addressing— Address before

the opening paragraph. Be sure

to address employer by full name

and title if available. Divide into

the “From You” address and the

“To Them” address.

Documents Employers and Companies Look For

Tips

Start Strong — Your opening

paragraph should draw their atten-

tion. Say more then “I’m John

Doe, applying for _____position”

Add a follow up statement.

Be Clear—-Make sure your cover

letter is clearly written. Avoid long

sentences and jargon in your writ-

ing. Strike a balance of confidence

and optimism with professional-

ism.

Call or Visit the Library

(940) 498-6231

Corinth Campus

Library Hours for

Spring and Fall:

Monday - Thursday

7:30 am—8:30 pm

Friday

7:30 am—3:00 pm

Closed Saturday &

Sunday

Accessing Research Databases

Off Campus: Log in to myNCTC (http://my.nctc.edu), click on Students, then

click on Library Resources, then click on Library Databases

On Campus: From the NCTC homepage (http://www.nctc.edu), click on Library,

click on Research Databases, then click on Complete Database Listing

Willis March 2015

Professional Writing—

Address your potential em-

ployers professionally:

“Mr.” “Ms.”, “Mrs.”, “Dr.”,

depending on the circum-

stances. Avoid humor and

wit in your cover letter.

Don’t be generic—-Like

your resume, you want to

tailor your cover letter. Take

the extra time to do some

research on the company.

Have Your Contact Info. Pre-

sent— Make sure your contact

information is present on the

cover letter, preferably at the top.

Don’t Focus Solely on Your-

self—Selling yourself and skills is

important, but it is also as equally

important to explain how you will

bring value to the company.

Signature— Sign physical copies

Cover Letter More

Address Example—

To

Dr. John Smith

Title

Company Name

Address

City, State, Zip Code