{"id":9014,"date":"2021-05-15T15:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T19:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/?page_id=9014"},"modified":"2025-06-20T17:46:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T21:46:07","slug":"cover-letters-faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/cover-letters-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"Cover Letters: Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"page-toc\">\n<div class=\"item3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/jsp-toc\/\">all job search \u3009<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 215px;\">\n<div class=\"middlebox\">\n<div>Have questions about your resume? See the <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/resumes-faq\/\">R\u00e9sum\u00e9s FAQ<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div>Have other questions Job Interviews? See the <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/interviews-faq\">Job Interviews FAQ<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"new\">\n<div style=\"width: 350px; float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 50px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/06\/COVER-LETTER-resume-icon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" \/><\/div>\n<ul class=\"exspace\" style=\"margin-left: 50px; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 114%;\">\n<li><a href=\"#1\">The job application I&#8217;m using says to copy my cover letter into a submission box \/ write my cover letter in the body of an email. What should I do for this project?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#2\">Can I use a cover letter template?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#3\">Does my cover letter need a recipient&#8217;s address?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#4\">What if I can&#8217;t find the address?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#5\">Who do I address my cover letter to?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#6\">What if I can&#8217;t find the name of a recipient?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#6.a\">What if I can&#8217;t find a position number or job ID number?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#7\">I don&#8217;t have any paid experience in my career field. In my cover letter, can I talk about experiences I had in school?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#7.a\">I don&#8217;t have any experience in my career field. What should I write about in my cover letter?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#9\">Can I discuss personal information in my cover letter?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#9b\">How should I format my cover letter?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#10\">How long should be cover letter be?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#11\">Can I discuss things I <em>plan<\/em> to do\u200a\/\u200aaccomplish in my cover letter?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#12\">In my cover letter, can\u200a\/\u200ashould I pretend I&#8217;m a senior\u200a\/\u200arecent graduate?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#13\">I&#8217;m still in high school. Should\u200a\/\u200aCan I write my cover letter as if I&#8217;m in college and about to graduate?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#14\">I&#8217;m a first year student\u200a\/\u200asophomore\u200a\/\u200ajunior\u200a\/\u200awhatever. Can\u200a\/\u200aShould I write as if I&#8217;m a senior\u200a\/\u200aabout to graduate\u200a\/\u200aa recent graduate?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#15\">What should I avoid at the start of my cover letter?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#16\">Should I create (or use) letterhead for my cover letter (and\/or follow-up\/thank you letter)?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"h4div\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"new\">Frequently Asked JSP Cover Letter Questions<\/h3>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"1\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. The job application I&#8217;m using says to copy my cover letter into a submission box \/ write my cover letter in the body of an email. What should I do for this project?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>For the purposes of the Job Search Portfolio project, you should write your cover letter as a traditional, print cover letter for postal mailing. <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/letters\/#block\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Need help with letter formatting<\/a>?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"2\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Can I use a cover letter template?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A. <\/strong>No. You may not use a cover letter template of any kind. If you use a template, use a fill-in-the-blank sample, use a cover letter generator, borrow phrasing or sentences from a text you didn&#8217;t write, or try to game the system some other way, you will get a 0% on the Job Search Portfolio project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">It has happened before. Don&#8217;t let it happen to you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"3\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Does my cover letter need a recipient&#8217;s address?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Yes. Your cover letter should look like <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/letters\/#block\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a letter<\/a>, and letters include a recipient&#8217;s name and address. You should look for this information online\u2014try to find a postal mailing address for the company or branch, and try to find the real name of a person who would likely review your materials (a supervisor&#8217;s name, an HR person, etc.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"4\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What if I can&#8217;t find the address?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> You should be able to find some address. If you can&#8217;t find the address to a particular division of a company, use their corporate or head office address instead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"5\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Who do I address my cover letter to?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> You should try to find the name of a person who would likely review your materials if you were really applying (a supervisor&#8217;s name, an HR person, etc.).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"6\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What if I can&#8217;t find the name of a recipient?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> If you absolutely cannot find the name of any person who would be likely to review your materials (if you were really applying), then use the next best piece of information you have to use in your salutation. See <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/salutations-names-titles-closings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Salutations, Names, Titles, and Closings.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px;\">If you don\u2019t know a person\u2019s name or gender, if possible, use the their job title or role (Dear Recruiter, Dear Claims Adjustor).<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px;\">If you are writing to a company rather than a specific individual, use the company name (Dear Pet Smart, Dear E.J.\u2019s Garden Pros).<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px;\">When writing to a group, use an appropriate plural noun (Students, Employees, Customers). When appropriate, use a more direct, descriptive, or friendly plural noun (Hello 3213 Pro Writers, Dear FAU Employees, Dear Initech Team)<\/li>\n<li style=\"padding-bottom: 8px;\">Don&#8217;t <em>ever<\/em> write: \u201cTo Whom it May Concern\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"6.a\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What if I can&#8217;t find a position number or job ID number?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Look in the listing URL\u2014often the URL has a position number or job ID number at the end. See below.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4341\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/job-id-number-images.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1090\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/job-id-number-images.png 1090w, https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/05\/job-id-number-images-768x388.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1090px) 100vw, 1090px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"7\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I don&#8217;t have any paid experience in my career field. In my cover letter, can I talk about experiences I had in school?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Yes! Absolutely!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">The work you&#8217;ve done as an undergrad <em>is<\/em> work. Your classroom experiences <em>are<\/em> experiences. The projects you&#8217;ve completed for class <em>are<\/em> projects. The research you&#8217;ve done for classes <em>is<\/em> research. Your educational experiences are worth highlighting, especially if you don&#8217;t have paid experience in your field.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Always keep in mind that your cover letter, resume, and interview responses are intended to &#8220;prove&#8221; your qualifications for the position. What matters is the experiences, projects, and research that qualify you. It doesn&#8217;t really matter whether those experiences, projects, and research are paid or unpaid (or &#8220;work&#8221; or &#8220;educational&#8221;).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"7.a\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I don&#8217;t have any experience in my career field. What should I write about in my cover letter?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Yes! Absolutely!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Even if you have no experience in your career field, you still have lots of options for what to write about in your cover letter.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">First, let&#8217;s go back and think about the various purposes and functions of a cover letter:<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; font-weight: 300;\">\n<div style=\"width: 50%; float: left;\">\n<ul class=\"bullsq2\" style=\"margin-left: 25px;\">\n<li style=\"color: #bdbdbd;\">introduce yourself and make a good first impression<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #bdbdbd;\">provide context for resume (transmittal letter)<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #fffde7;\">show your qualifications; prove you fulfill the requirements of the position<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #fffde7;\">expand on items in your resume<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 50%; float: left;\">\n<ul class=\"bullsq2\">\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #fffde7;\">identify what you\u2019ll bring to position\/company<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"background-color: #fffde7;\">stand out from other candidates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #bdbdbd;\">ask for\/get an interview<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #bdbdbd;\">prove your writing skill<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 1.2em; padding-left: 18px;\">The lighter font items are fairly easy to do: Introduce yourself and make a good first impression; provide context for your resume set; for an interview: improve your writing skill.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">The items highlighted in yellow give you a chance to shine \u2013 even if you have no actual experience in your career field. You can do this by&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\"><strong>Showing how your knowledge\u2014likely what you learned in your classes\u2014prepare you for the position.<\/strong> If the employer is looking for someone who upholds high standards of patient care, but you have no experience caring for patients, perhaps you can discuss how you will apply what you learned in Fundamentals of Nursing Practice to your practice of patient care. If the employer is looking for someone who can perform patient health assessments, but you&#8217;ve never done a patient health assessment on a real patient, you can talk about a project that asked you to perform assessments as part of your Health Assessment in Nursing Situations Lab class.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\"><strong>Showing how you possess the skills, qualities, and\/or abilities the employer is looking for.<\/strong> (sometimes called &#8220;transferable skills&#8221;) While the employer may be looking for someone who can adhere to government ethics guidelines, if you have no experience with government ethics guidelines, perhaps you can show how you adhered to ethical guidelines or ethical principles in some other way, or in some other role. If the employer is looking for someone who can lead a sales team to meet monthly sales goals, even if you have no formal leadership experience in this area, perhaps you can talk about how you lead your church youth group team to meet a fundraising goal, or discuss how you led a group of classmates through an exciting class project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"9\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Can I discuss personal information in my cover letter?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Only if it applies to the position in some way.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; font-weight: 500; letter-spacing: 0.025em; color: #333; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px #bdbdbd;\">Some examples:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">You grew up in a military family and lived in six different countries before your father retired from the military and settled in Florida. Should you discuss this in your cover letter?<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 38px; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n<div style=\"width: 20px; float: left; font-size: 130%; color: #2e7d32; opacity: 0.65;\">\u2714<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 25px; font-weight: 300;\">Yes, if you&#8217;re applying for a Global Strategist position at Ford Motors, Inc., then you should probably mention having lived abroad\u2014in multiple countries\u2014in your cover letter. Although this wasn&#8217;t professional experience, living abroad made you more knowledgeable about other countries and cultures. This makes you more qualified than some other applicant who has no international experience.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 38px; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n<div style=\"width: 20px; float: left; font-size: 150%; color: #b71c1c; opacity: 0.65;\">\u2717<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 25px; font-weight: 300;\">No, if you&#8217;re applying for a Wildlife Conservationist position at the Big Cat Sanctuary in Loxahatchee, FL, your international living experiences probably don&#8217;t apply to the position in any way, and so there&#8217;s no reason to discuss it in your cover letter.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">You lived with and helped your aunt while she battled breast cancer\u2014you took her to chemo, cooked her meals, ran errands, and helped to clean her house. Should you discuss this in your cover letter?<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 38px; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n<div style=\"width: 20px; float: left; font-size: 130%; color: #2e7d32; opacity: 0.65;\">\u2714<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 25px; font-weight: 300;\">Yes, if you&#8217;re applying for a position as a Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Manager at the Susan G. Komen foundation. Since the Susan G. Komen foundation raises money for breast cancer research and awareness about breast cancer, your personal experience helping a loved one through cancer treatments makes you a more qualified candidate than a similar applicant with no personal connection or experience.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 38px; margin-bottom: 1em;\">\n<div style=\"width: 20px; float: left; font-size: 150%; color: #b71c1c; opacity: 0.65;\">\u2717<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 25px; font-weight: 300;\">No, if you&#8217;re applying for a position as a Digital Animator with Konami Entertainment\u2014a company that creates, develops, and markets video games\u2014then your personal experience helping your aunt is likely irrelevant to the job. Since it doesn&#8217;t help to qualify you for the position or explain your connection to the work, you shouldn&#8217;t discuss this in your cover letter.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"9b\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How should I format my cover letter?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> You should format your cover letter as a professional letter in <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/letters\/#block\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">block format<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"10\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. How long should my cover letter be?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> For the Job Search Portfolio Project, your cover letter should be at least one full page (your cover letter should be <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/letters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">formatted as a letter<\/a>, so it should be singled spaced with an additional space between paragraphs).<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\"><strong>Aim to write at least one full page.<\/strong> (While I don&#8217;t count words, I&#8217;d prefer a cover letter that goes over one page instead of one that goes under one page.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border-top: 2px solid #e0e0e0;\">\n<div style=\"float: right; width: 230px; margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 10px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/07\/serif-vs-sans-serif2.png\" \/><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 110%; margin-top: 1em; font-weight: 500; text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px rgba(0,188,212 ,0.5); letter-spacing: 0.05em;\">A note about font and font sizes:<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes when I read cover letter drafts, it&#8217;s clear the author is trying to make their text look longer\u2014trying to make it fill more of the page without actually writing more words. The easiest (and most obvious) way to make a text look longer is to use 12 point Arial font.<\/p>\n<p>First, technically, you should use a common, readable serif font for body text on printed pages. Serif fonts\u2014like Times New Roman\u2014are often considered better than sans-serif fonts for readability, speed, and comprehension. (See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4612630\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Arditi and Cho<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Second, <strong>using 12pt Arial font isn&#8217;t fooling anyone<\/strong> (especially not someone who is reading a stack of cover letters and can plainly see the difference between a page printed in 10pt Times New Roman and one printed in 12pt Arial). To illustrate the effect of size and font style on words per page, take a look at these four mock cover letters. Each version has 1 inch margins, single spacing with an extra hard return (or extra space) between paragraphs, and the same addresses, salutation, and signature block. The body text of each version uses automatically generated Lorum Ipsum placeholder text.<\/p>\n<p>With 10pt Times New Roman, the word count of the body text is 567. With 12pt Arial, the word count is 313. In other words, the per page word count with 10pt Times New Roman is almost double the word count with 12pt Arial.<\/p>\n<p>Since your cover letter is an opportunity to make an argument for why you&#8217;re an excellent candidate for the position, you should aim for quality and completeness. Usually, this takes people <em>at least<\/em> a page.<\/p>\n<p>When I grade, I&#8217;m evaluating your rhetorical approach\u2014I&#8217;m looking for quality and comprehensiveness. I&#8217;m looking to see whether you&#8217;ve made a compelling argument for yourself as an excellent candidate for the position.<\/p>\n<p><em>Bottom line? While I don&#8217;t count words, please don&#8217;t think you&#8217;ve fooled me into thinking you&#8217;ve written a whole page by putting your cover letter into 12pt Arial font.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 90%; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 10px 20px; border-bottom: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"greenshadow\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/06\/TNR-10.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"825\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 10px 20px; border-bottom: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"imgshadow\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/06\/TNR-12.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"825\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 10px 20px; border-bottom: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"imgshadow\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/06\/Arial-10.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"825\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; padding: 10px 20px; border-bottom: none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"redshadow\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/06\/Arial-12.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"638\" height=\"825\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"11\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Can I discuss things I <em>plan<\/em> to do\u200a\/\u200aaccomplish in my cover letter?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> You may, but only if you actually have plans to accomplish the thing. For example, if you&#8217;ve already registered for a Teaching With Technology seminar coming up in July, then in your cover letter, you can write <em>&#8220;To better meet the challenges of online teaching, I&#8217;ve registered for a &#8220;Teaching With Technology&#8221; seminar organized by the Florida Teaching Alliance.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">You should not, however, speculate about things a year or more into the future.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">Part of the work of the JSP project is thinking rhetorically\u2014finding ways to show how your current skills (both dedicated skills and transferable skills), experiences, and education make you a good candidate for the position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"12\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. In my cover letter, can\u200a\/\u200ashould I pretend I&#8217;m a senior\u200a\/\u200arecent graduate?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> No. You may not pretend. You should present yourself as you are\u2014right now. Part of the work of the JSP project is thinking rhetorically\u2014finding ways to show how your current skills (both dedicated skills and transferable skills), experiences, and education make you a good candidate for the position.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">While most of your job ads require applicants to have a B.A. or B.S., don&#8217;t pretend you already have your degree. On your resume, list your &#8220;expected&#8221; graduation month\/year. In your cover letter, you can say something like &#8220;&#8230;I expect to graduate with my B.S. in Computer Science in December 2021&#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;&#8230;I will earn my B.A. in Communications in May 2022.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"13\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I&#8217;m still in high school. Should\u200a\/\u200aCan I write my cover letter as if I&#8217;m in college and about to graduate?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> Nope. Don&#8217;t pretend you&#8217;re in college or about to graduate. Present yourself as you are\u2014right now. Part of the work of the JSP project is thinking rhetorically\u2014finding ways to show how your current skills (both dedicated skills and transferable skills), experiences, and education make you a good candidate for the position.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">While most of your job ads require applicants to have a B.A. or B.S., don&#8217;t pretend you have your degree. On your resume, list your &#8220;expected&#8221; college graduation month\/year. In your cover letter, you can say something like &#8220;&#8230;I expect to graduate with my B.S. in Computer Science in December 2021&#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;&#8230;I will earn my B.A. in Communications in May 2022.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"14\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. I\u2019m a first year student\u200a\/\u200asophomore\u200a\/\u200ajunior\u200a\/\u200awhatever. Can\u200a\/\u200aShould I write as if I\u2019m a senior\u200a\/\u200aabout to graduate\u200a\/\u200aa recent graduate?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> No. You should not write as if you&#8217;re a senior or about to graduate if you aren&#8217;t a senior and not about to graduate. You should present yourself as you are\u2014right now. Part of the work of the JSP project is thinking rhetorically\u2014finding ways to show how your current skills (both dedicated skills and transferable skills), experiences, and education make you a good candidate for the position.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px;\">While most of your job ads require applicants to have a B.A. or B.S., don&#8217;t pretend you already have your degree. On your resume, list your &#8220;expected&#8221; graduation month\/year. In your cover letter, you can say something like &#8220;&#8230;I expect to graduate with my B.S. in Computer Science in December 2021&#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;&#8230;I will earn my B.A. in Communications in May 2022.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"15\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. What should I avoid at the start of my cover letter?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> See below, and also see Cover Letter \u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/job-application-cover-letters\/#intro\">Intro<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\">.<\/p>\n<h6 class=\"dn\" style=\"font-size: 90%; color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.75; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; letter-spacing: 0.07em;\">DON&#8217;T DO THIS \u2193<\/h6>\n<h5 class=\"dn\" style=\"margin-top: 0;\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> &#8220;I&#8217;m writing to <span style=\"color: #bbb;\"><span style=\"font-size: 80%;\">[reason<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 80%;\">]<\/span><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/h5>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 15px;\">\n<p>Get rid of unnecessary, canned, and redundant correspondence starters. See the examples and explanations below.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: separate; width: 99%; margin: -0.8em auto 15px;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"10\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; border-bottom: none; text-align: center; font-size: 120%; font-weight: 300; padding: 0;\">UNNECESSARY CORRESPONDENCE STARTERS<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; border-bottom: none; text-align: center; font-size: 120%; font-weight: 300; padding: 0;\">EXPLANATION<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#FFF2F4\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> I am writing to apply&#8230;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#f5f5f5\"><em>No need to say you&#8217;re writing to apply&#8230; your letter and resume serve as your application.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#FFF2F4\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> This letter is to express my interest&#8230;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#f5f5f5\"><em>No need to identify the correspondence as an letter (the reader already knows)&#8230; or express interest (instead, write in a way that demonstrates your interest).<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#FFF2F4\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> I write to submit&#8230;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#f5f5f5\"><em>No need write to submit. The letter\/resume is your submission (or you will submit your materials elsewhere).<br \/>\n<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin: 0 3em;\"><span id=\"dont-name-is\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 150%; opacity: 0.25;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h6 class=\"dn\" style=\"font-size: 90%; color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.75; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; letter-spacing: 0.07em; font-family: 'Roboto';\">DON&#8217;T DO THIS \u2193<\/h6>\n<h5 class=\"dn\" style=\"margin-top: 0;\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> &#8220;My name is <span style=\"color: #bbb;\"><span style=\"font-size: 80%;\">[\u200a<\/span>name<span style=\"font-size: 80%;\">\u200a]<\/span><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/h5>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 15px;\">\n<p>Don&#8217;t start your correspondence with &#8220;My name is [\u200aname\u200a]\u200a.\u200a.\u200a.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Starting your correspondence this was in unnecessarily wordy, and it&#8217;s redundant because you&#8217;ll sign\/type your name at the bottom of the letter in the signature block.<\/p>\n<p>See the examples and explanations below, and also, review Correspondence Conventions &gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/salutations-names-titles-closings\/#signature-block\">Signature Block<\/a> and Conciseness &gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/conciseness\/#correspondence-starters\">Canned Correspondence Starters<\/a> for more info.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: separate; width: 99%; margin: 0 auto 15px;\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"10\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; border-bottom: none; text-align: center; font-size: 120%; font-weight: 300; padding: 0;\">UNNECESSARY CORRESPONDENCE STARTERS<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 50%; border-bottom: none; text-align: center; font-size: 120%; font-weight: 300; padding: 0;\">EXPLANATION<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#FFF2F4\"><span style=\"color: #851e1e; opacity: 0.7; font-size: 115%;\">\u2715<\/span> My name is Max Miller and I&#8230;<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: medium none; padding-left: 15px; vertical-align: top;\" bgcolor=\"#f5f5f5\"><em>Since you will include your full name at the bottom of the correspondence, there&#8217;s no need to introduce yourself.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"16\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h5><strong>Q. Should I create (or use) letterhead for my cover letter (and\/or follow-up\/thank you letter)?<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"h4div\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 18px; text-indent: -18px;\"><strong>A.<\/strong> No.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1500px;\"><span id=\"none\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>all job search \u3009 Have questions about your resume? See the R\u00e9sum\u00e9s FAQ. Have other questions Job Interviews? See the Job Interviews FAQ. &nbsp; The job application I&#8217;m using says to copy my cover letter into a submission box \/ write my cover letter in the body of an email. What should I do for <a href='https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/cover-letters-faq\/' class='excerpt-more'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9014"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10382,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9014\/revisions\/10382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}