Writing a Cover Letter

A cover letter is a formal letter submitted as an accompaniment to a resume. A standard cover letter should run no longer than three paragraphs and be simple to read, clear, neat, concise, understandable, error-free, and formatted correctly.

A cover letter aims to persuade an employer to review your resume. A resume can make a good case for your relevant preparation for a job, but it will not tell the employer why you would be a great candidate for a job, nor will it convey much of your attitude and personality. A cover letter allows you to point out specific experiences not fully covered in your resume that might make you a valuable or exceptional candidate or employee.

Cover Letter Style Tips

  • Use formal, professional language—do not use slang or casual phrasing or vocabulary.
  • Be polite.
  • Sell yourself: highlight your strengths and be positive.
  • Use a standard and legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
  • Check your spelling and grammar.
  • Have someone else carefully review your cover letter for mistakes and phrasing and formatting issues before you send it. (It’s a good idea to get the assistance of a sighted person to review your cover letter and resume.)
  • If you are emailing your letter and resume, attach both files. Unless the employer requests otherwise, the cover letter and resume should be separate documents.
  • The cover letter should be no longer than three paragraphs and fit on one page.
  • Make sure the email address that you use in all correspondence, and the email address that appears in all of your documents is something formal like your first initial and last name.
Photo of newspaper, notebook, pen and cover letter
Photo of newspaper, notebook, pen and cover letter

Formal Letter Format:

  • Single spaced, 10-point font, left justified one-inch margins.
  • Return address on top right of the page.
  • Address of business or employer below the return address, but on the left side of the page.
  • Leave a line empty.
  • Greeting: “Dear Mr. Vicious:” or “Dear Ms. Torra:”. It’s always better to address your cover letter to someone specific. If you have not spoken with an individual at the company you are applying to, call the office and ask for the name of the human resources director, or the name of the person who reviews applications. If for some reason you cannot get the full name of a contact, you may as a last resort address your letter “Dear Human Resources Representative:” or “To whom it may concern,”.
  • Leave a line empty.
  • First paragraph: Express your interest in the specific position at their company. Make sure to include the position title as it appears on the job posting and, if any reference numbers appeared on the posting, include those as well. If you were referred by someone in your network or at the company, mention them by name. Mention specifics about the job or company that interest you; tie in personal experience or something that shows the extent of your research into the company or the job.
  • Second paragraph: Describe how you are a good candidate. Be specific and highlight the most important parts of your resume or something your resume can’t cover. This is the time to describe why you are a great fit for the job. What can you bring to the position? What can you bring to the company? Think of skills, personality traits, knowledge, training, experience, enthusiasm, passion, strong work ethic, etc.
  • Final paragraph: Thank them for taking the time to consider your application and state that you hope to hear from them soon.
  • Leave a line empty
  • Close with “Sincerely,”
  • Leave two or three lines of space for your signature
  • Your full name: “Daniel Stevens” or “Mr. Daniel Stevens”

The Job Seeker’s Toolkit

This article is based on the APH Job Seeker’s Toolkit, a free, self-paced, comprehensive, and accessible guide to the employment process.

This article and The Job Seeker’s Toolkit are based on the 2nd edition of The Transition Tote System, by Karen Wolffe and Debbie Johnson (1997, American Printing House for the Blind).