1. Customize your cover letter for each potential employer. Think about the position you are applying for, read the employer’s description of the position and be sure to address their needs and wants in your letter. Don’t be afraid to borrow their language to prove your relevance.
2. Keep it short and concise—one page maximum. Your goal is to relay that you are interested, qualified and ready to work.
3. Follow the rules. Use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Nothing gets your application tossed in the trash like typos and misspellings.
4. Don’t list past salaries or salary requirements unless this information is requested by the employer.
5. Present yourself at your best. Make sure that your most impressive and relevant information makes it into the cover letter. This is your chance to hook the reader and land an interview.
6. Use a generic font, like Arial or Times New Roman. Keep it simple, easy to read and easy to convert for Mac and PC users. Don’t go smaller than size 10 for the font.
7. You can use bullets, but be sure that the list is in context, not just a sheet of bullet points.
8. Reference your résumé and any other provided documents. Design samples, writing samples, etc.
