Cover letter Handout
What to Include
1st.
Tell the employer why you are sending them a resume. Often times a company will be hiring for many positions at once. In the case of internships companies might be hiring for several different sessions e.g. summer 2010 or spring 2010. Make sure to include very specific information about the job you want.
2nd.
Tell the employer how you learned about this position. This is often helpful because if you learned about the job from a friend or acquaintance of the employer it could give you an advantage. Also, employers might trust the opinions of recruiters or job fair workers.
3rd.
Explain any complicated aspects of your resume. Tell the employer why you have any gaps in your education or work history. An example of this would be explaining about the Korean military system to a non-Korean. Also, explain any unusually jobs you might have had or how a simple sounding job might have had more responsibility or relevance to the position you are applying. An example might be “I was the only employee at 7-11” or “The professor I was an assistant to was a Nobel prize winning scholar”.
4th.
Any other special information the employer has requested. They might want to know about your attendance history specific classes taken or preference in office environment.
