Cover Letters

Your cover letter is an excellent opportunity to communicate your personality, enthusiasm and professional strengths to a potential employer. It gives you a chance to highlight those experiences and interests that make you a unique applicant. Also, keep in mind that your letter gives the employer a sample of how well you write. As with your resume, be careful about typos. Vary your sentence structure to keep the employer interested; for example, do not begin every sentence with "I (verb)."

When writing to employers who have indicated specific job openings, you should draft a cover letter with the same creativity you put into your resume. Try to set a personal, yet professional, tone in your cover letters that adds a sense of who you are as an individual, why you are interested in this particular employer and why you will work well at that particular office. The less standardized your letter is, the better it will be remembered.

First, try to address your cover letter to the particular person responsible for hiring in each office. Simply call the personnel office or hiring contact and ask for the hiring attorney's name. Avoid addressing a letter "to whom it may concern." Show that you took the initiative to find out the person's name and title. Remember to confirm all contacts' information, as changes are inevitable. If possible, mention the name of the person who referred you to the job, as this is one highly effective form of networking. When all else fails, you can address your letter to the "Hiring Coordinator." In addition, be sure to spell-check your letter and edit any grammatical mistakes.

Your cover letter can convey more fully who you are than your resume. Go into detail about your background and skills instead of reiterating what is already on your resume. Cover letters should never serve simply as letters of transmittal. More and more, interview decisions rest on the employer's sense of you as a person. Your cover letter plays a pivotal role in creating this impression.

Refer also to the sample cover letters and list of action verbs we have provided.

Length & Tone

Cover letters should be about a full page long. Your letter is an uninterrupted chance to tell an employer about yourself and to add depth to the credentials highlighted on your resume. Treat the cover letter much like a one-sided interview, using a slightly informal, conversational tone to convey your interest in the job and the relevant experiences that qualify you for the position.

Paragraph of Introduction

The first paragraph of your letter should serve to identify you (e.g., I am a first year student at Harvard Law School) and should explain why you are contacting them (e.g., I am interested in a summer internship with your office.). Mention how you learned about the organization or the specific job opening, whether it was from a friend, a previous intern in the office, an article in the paper, a speaker on a panel or a job announcement.

Qualifications & Interests

The middle paragraphs should stress those work experiences that are most relevant to the position without merely rehashing the descriptions in your resume. This section should include your public service experience, leadership positions, relevant course work, etc. Weave a story that explains your background and ends with why you are seeking work with this particular employer (e.g., your interest in civil rights).

Focus on how your skills fulfill the employer's needs. Doing so will show not only that you recognize your own capabilities, but that you also have done research about and understand the organization.

In this section, the employer expects to find out why he or she should consider you for the job. For this reason, you have to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Displaying genuine and informed enthusiasm for the position goes a long way, particularly when it is linked to your own work experience.

Concluding Paragraph

The last paragraph should thank the employer for his or her consideration, provide your telephone number and indicate that you will call within the next few weeks to set up a time to meet. Let out-of-town employers know if you will be in their area at some time in the near future in order to facilitate scheduling an interview.

Follow-up

Unless an employer requests no phone inquiries, it is often a smart follow-up strategy to telephone the employer to confirm that your resume was received and indicate when you are available for an interview. Alternatively, you can send an email message if you have one for the hiring contact. It is particularly helpful to let an organization know if you will be coming to town and are available to meet. You have to be careful to balance persistence and enthusiasm about the position against aggressiveness and overexuberance. The idea is for the employer to have your name in mind when turning his or her attention to final hiring decisions – not to harrass them.

You can also send writing samples or other materials to update your resume if the hiring process takes some time. Calls or emails from practitioners or professors familiar with the employer are sure to impress potential employers and may land you an interview.

Below is an example of a good follow-up email:

Dear Ms. Landers,

I recently applied for a summer fellowship with your organization. Though I know how busy you must be, I just wanted to confirm that you had received my letter and resume. Also, if there is anything else I should do – including, perhaps, sending you a transcript or a writing sample – please let me know. You can reach me via email (jharvard@mail.edu) or by telephone (617.495.3108). Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
John Harvard

1563 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Sending Your Letter and Resume

Although email is tempting to use and there are times when it is appropriate, we still recommend the traditional practice of using the US Postal Service. There are exceptions, of course. If the employer states a preference for email or another format, definitely follow his/her guidelines. Also, if you are writing to a federal agency in Washington, DC, it is often wise to send your letter by both US mail and electronically (email or fax) because mail for US Government offices is subject to security measures and is often delayed by weeks or months. For Capitol Hill and international employers, email is usually the preferred method of contact.