MCCC DMA 250

We've already talked a lot about how important cover letters are. This is the first time you are talking to your potential employers. If they don't like what they hear, there is no way they are going to click on a link to your portfolio or download your resume. And if they don't do either of those things - this semester was a waste.

Okay, so lets not let that happen. Lets write amazing cover letters. Most cover letters are sent in the body of an email. Do not attach cover letter .doc or .pdf to an email! Potential employers will likely never open them. So, for an email cover letter, here's what we need to do:

Preparation
1. Research the company

• Whats their mission? What do they do? Why are they doing it?
  
• Who do they serve? Who is their customer base? Do they work for other companies? Or work with the public directly?
  
• What sets this company apart from the competition? Is it their values (sustainability? giving back to the community? serving under represented demographics?)? Is it their quality? Speed? Quantity? Clientele?
• Where are they located? Who is their competition?

2. Research the job

• What function do you and your talents serve in the workflow of their company?
• What will you be required to do?
• Who will you work with? Who will you answer to? Who will you be responsible for?
• What experience is needed and/or expected? (not always the same! you can make a case for having less experience than is expected if you have enough to fulfill the needs of the position).
• What software/hardware/technology are needed/expected?
• What creative skills are needed/expected?

3. Analyze your assets

• List all the major projects and accomplishments (you are students! Think about big projects, especially group projects!).
• List all the skills needed to complete those projects - not just creative skills! (think about teamwork, leadership, time management, etc).
• List all your work experience and volunteer experience
• Think about your professional network - do you know anyone who would be able to initiate an introduction to someone at the potential employer's company?

4. Evaluate

• Compare your list of assets with the needs/expectations of the company
• Find connections to your values and theirs (are you a fast worker with speedy turn around and are applying to a design agency specializing in fast delivery? volunteer at animal shelters and applying to a job that donates 10% to the SPCA? love fast cars, applying to Speed Network? snowboard every weekend? love cooking? shop thrift stores? recycle everything?) Find what you're interested or are really good at and see if their is some overlap with what the company values or promotes or specializes in.
• Write down the needs/wants for potential employee and check off the ones you have. Which ones are you amazing at?
• List specific projects that highlight these desirables.

Writing the Letter
Formatting

• Keep your letter to ONE PAGE!!!!!!! This is extremely important. Try to keep it at about 3-4 paragraphs.
• Keep your tone professional. Even when applying casual companies, employers still want to see that you can think coherently and communicate clearly and effectively.
• Avoid slang or sloppy English. Remove every instance of "very" "a lot" "many" or weak words that do not carry much weight or add significantly to the meaning of the sentence. (ex: "I am able to work very quickly on many projects at the same time." verses "My work flow allows me to work effectively on different tasks simultaneously.")
• Spell check.
• SPELL CHECK! no really. S.P.E.L.L. C.H.E.C.K
• Do not use contractions (don't = do not, I'm = I am, can't = cannot, etc).
• "Should have" is not spelled "should of" - ironically enough, "could have" and "would have" follow suit!

Content

• INTRODUCTION: Start of by introducing yourself and your current position (being a Digital Media student is perfectly fine! and it is a real "position") and where you are working/studying.
• Explain why you are applying for the job. Remember way back in the beginning of the semester when we talked about why you want to work in creative services? This is where that gets used.
• Briefly mention how your skills/experiences will not only fulfill the requirements of the position but actively contribute to their mission
• BODY: match requirements of the desired position to your skills and experiences.
  
• When possible, link to or talk about specific projects that illustrate these skills in action (this will get them into your portfolio faster and that is where you really "talk" to them).
• Always try to work in the research you did about the company and demonstrate how you can contribute to the bigger picture.
• CALL TO ACTION: in the concluding paragraph, you want to wrap up everything (more about the company's mission and how your skills can not only meet expectations but exceed them) and call them to take action (download resume, visit portfolio).
• talk about scheduling an interview. If you know your availability, mention that as well.
• Provide contact info! Make sure they have your telephone number!
• Thank them for their time!!!

Before Hitting Send
Make sure you include a link to your online portfolio, your telephone number, if references can be provided, and attach your resume! Be careful with your resume, however - sometimes employers do not want you send attachments. If that is the case, you will have to copy and past the text into the body of the email.

Proofread over and over again. Make sure everything is spelled correctly and that your sentences make sense. Check your links.

More Information:

• Wiki-how has a great Cover-Letter-Writing-Exercise but please don't follow it exactly! Make this letter your own - it needs to show off your personality!
• Trinity College has a great, quick tutorial
• College of Computer and Information Science has some good examples
• www.how-to-write-a-cover-letter.com is aptly named