Sample Cover Letter
Follow along as Betty Ann Smith develops her cover letter . . .
Betty Ann Smith, a medical technician with over twenty years experience, is looking for another job in her field. She already has a résumé. She notices a want ad in the Metropolitan Gazette for which she has the proper skills.
See the Metropolitan Gazette ad.
The opportunity seems interesting to her and she decides to apply. She calls the employer, a hospital, and learns she would be working for the Director of Laboratory Services, whose name is Dr. Big. Now Betty can write her cover letter for a specific job and a specific person.
Follow along in Betty's cover letter.
In the first paragraph, Betty introduces herself and tells why she is writing the letter.
In the next two paragraphs, Betty writes specifically to the requirements listed in the want ad. She nails down each major point as she writes, assuring Dr. Big that she has experience for each one. While she has these requirements listed in her résumé, she has not “fleshed them out” in that document. In her cover letter, she adds detail, such as her experience with the microscope and the work she did on the zinc content, hemoblastosis and malignancy.
In the fourth paragraph Betty addresses her lack of experience in medical research. First she acknowledges this deficiency, then she parries by showing confidence that she can learn what she needs to know. She cites familiarity with such work.
The final paragraph covers several points. First, Betty tells Dr. Big that she is excited about the prospect of working for Large Metropolitan Hospital.
Next, having done her homework (Betty learned the hospital has a program for helping the homeless), she uses this opportunity to add a bit of personal philosophy. She tells Dr. Big she believes that, “as medical practitioners, we have an obligation to our fellow beings.” By doing so, Betty has added a personal touch, one that most applicants will not include. Thus her letter stands out from the rest; her personal comment in what normally would be just another business letter makes her letter unique.
Finally, in the last sentence, she tells Dr. Big that she plans to call him the following week to set up a meeting. Very few people who send out résumés and cover letters will follow through afterward. Again, Betty has makes herself a little different than other applicants, and also demonstrates she is serious about getting the job.
