Creating Effectiving Cover Letters

Now that we have done a good bit of career research, each student should have a lot of information about the career they delved into. As part of the research students where asked to find and copy two actual job postings.Our task at hand now is to learn how to write an effective business letter.

Know: Well written communications, such as a business letter, can increase your chances of getting your foot in the door in an industry that you are interested in.

Understand: The people who will hopefully be reading your letter(s) get many similar letters each day. You need to write an error-free letter that is concise, communicative and effective.

Do: We will review the parts of a business letter. We will gain an understanding of how a written (hard) copy is different from an email. We will also look at how you tailor your letter depending on where the job information came from. Finally, we will use make sure the letter is error free.

Let's begin by looking at what is in a cover letter by examining the following links:

Articles that offer good advice about how to write a business letter:
How To Write a Cover Letter
Maximize Your Cover Letter's Power

How to Write a Business Letter that Gets Results

Articles that have sample letters:
Business Letter Writing: Writing a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job
Business Letter Writing: Writing a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job (posted in an advertisement)
Business Letter Writing: Writing a Cover Letter when Applying for a Job (in response to an opening)

Great Samples and Tips:
Cover letters: types and samples

Articles about Avoiding Errors:
Five Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Your Assignment: How to Write a Cover Letter

Now that you have researched a career I want you to select two of your job postings and write covers letter for them. One will be written as if it was a hard copy. The other will be a soft/electronic copy. Use the notes we took in class to help you remember how the formats are different. If you missed those notes, use the links above to find out how they differ. Label each letter as "hard copy" and "soft copy" before you turn them in.

In order for this to work well you will need to pretend that you already have a college degree and a little bit of work experience.

Your assignment is to create a cover letter that is properly formatted and written. You can access information about formatting from the presentation I did in class. You can also access formatting information by following the appropriate links on the website for this class. Here’s what is in the paper:

Research the company you are applying to.
Visit their website and check them out. Consider finding out the following kinds of information:

• What is the employer’s mission?
o How are they different from their competitors?

• What kind of person is their customer/ target audience

• What do they value? (Good Service, Cutting Edge Technology, Diversity, Predictability, flexibility?)

• What kind of news is featured on their website?

• What do you know about the company’s history?

• Any other information you can learn from their website that might be useful?

The more you know about the company, the better your letter and interview will be. Doing this research will help you discover whether the company might be a good fit for you.

Analyze the Job Posting Carefully:
• What skills are they looking for?

• What kind of education/license/certificate are they looking for?

• What kind of experience are they looking for?
•
Find out who the manager or Human Resources office will be reading your letter. (A personalized letter is more likely to be read than one addressed to “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam”. It may also show that you do not care enough about getting the job to call the company and ask for the name of the hiring officer.)

• Make a list of the qualifications you have that match up with those listed in the job posting. (For the purpose of this activity you can pretend that you have a reasonable set of qualifications and work experience.)

Write the first paragraph.

• Find a powerful way to start your letter.

• Tell the reader specifically why you are writing to them.
o This may include what specific job you are interested in or how you came to find their job posting.

• If you found the job posting on a website, make sure you mention which one. Many of them also assign a job ID number. Include that if you have it.


Write the second paragraph.
Take a second look at the job posting specifics and your personal qualifications list. The goal of the second paragraph is to persuade the reader that you are the best person for the job.
• Be sure to address as many points from the job posting as possible;
• Explain how you meet or exceed the job qualifications;
(Avoid telling them what you needs are at this point.)
• Explain why the company would benefit from having you as an employee.
(How can you help them meet their goal(s), solve a problem or attract a new kind of customer?)
• Highlight some of your specific accomplishments in relation to the job descriptions, the company’s focus, goals, etc.

Write the Third Paragraph: Be Bold & Brave.
• The third paragraph is where you take the action into your hands and ask for what you want.

• Be sure to thank the reader for taking time to consider your letter;

• Tell the reader what you want them to do. Be sure to do it in a polite way;

• You may want to indicate when you will call or email next.

• If you have included a resume or any other item with the letter make sure to refer to it. This could improve the chance that it will be actually looked at.

• Be sure to include your contact information, such as email address, cell phone number and a website, if you have one.

Career Research Project and Presentation

Career Research Paper & Presentation

Know:
A student who researches the nature of a job, its working conditions, employment facts, the education and training requirements, along with the future job potential and earnings will be wiser and more knowledgeable when determining a career path to choose.

Understand:
Doing the research for yourself will allow you to follow pathways of knowledge that can open more doors and introduce new areas that could become of interest.

Do:
You will complete the research and create an engaging presentation about that career.


Here’s and outline of what information needs to be included. Feel free to add more than what is asked for:

General Classification: (example: Engineer)

Specializations within the Given Field: (Example: Mechanical Engineer)

I. Nature of the work
1. Major duties
2. Technological influences
1. Advancements
2. Emerging specialties
3. Geographic Concerns/Requirements/Limits/Opportunities
4. Philosophical Issues

II. Working conditions
1. Typical hours worked
2. Workplace environment
3. Physical activities
4. Susceptibility to injury
5. Special equipment
6. Extent of travel required
7. Extent of “On Call” or out of office expectations/responsibilities

III. Employment facts
1. Estimated number of jobs
2. Key industries for jobs
3. Significant geographic distribution

IV. Education and training qualifications
A. Personal characteristics/Skills
1. Read, write, and speak well
2. Compute accurately
3. Think logically
4. Learn quickly
5. Get along with others
6. Demonstrate dependability
7. Computer/Web 2.0 Savvy

B. Preference by employers
1. High school
2. On-the-job training
3. Special Certification or License
4. Formal training (including apprenticeships)
1. Paid Apprenticeships
a. How Long?
b. What is the expected pay?
2. Volunteer Practicum
5. Armed Forces
6. College or postgraduate degrees
7. Previous work experience

C. Typical length of training
D. Advancement possibilities
1. Additional education required for promotion/advancement?

V. Future job outlook
A. Growth or decline potential
1. Number of job openings expected in coming years
B. Turnover rate
C. Susceptibility to layoffs
D. Is this career location specific or very transferable to other locations/professions
E. Local Opportunities
F. National Opportunities
G. Global Opportunities

VI. Earnings
A. Compensation
1. Starting Salary
2. Average Annual Earnings
3. Top Salaries in the career

B. Benefits
1. Medical
2. Insurance
3. Others of Monetary Significance ( Stocks, Partnership, etc.)

VII. Job Postings
A. Find two actual job postings for the career you are researching.


This form was adapted from the one found at:
http://alex.state.al.us/uploads/5680/Career%20Research%20Paper%20Outline.doc

Research Sites:
Below you will find a list of sites that will aid in your research. Please understand that this is not an exhaustive list, just a starting point.

Database Research Link:

AHS Website> Library>Research Databases> Click on the first link under “Do You Have Your Jefferson County Public Library Card? This will get you to the database listing. Some of them will require your Jeffco Lib. Card number. Others will list the login and password that you need to access the material. The databases are listed in alphabetical order. Here are a few of the ones that might be useful, depending on what your career topic is:
Careers – Internet Gale Databases Health Source
Learning Express Nursing & Allied Health
Online Magazines & Newspapers

Local Newspapers: Website> Library>Online Newspaper Access

Career Index & Information - http://www.wetfeet.com/Careers---Industries.aspx

Online Occupational Information - http://online.onetcenter.org/

Career Research Checklist and Good Informational Links Site:
http://www.quintcareers.com/career_research_checklist.html
Career Descriptions:
http://diplomaguide.com/article_directory/Job_Titles_and_Careers_List.html

Bureau of Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov

Specifics for Your Research:

The Grading Rubric for Career Research Paper & Presentation clearly states the expectations for this project. Here are a few reminders:

Please create a presentation (using PowerPoint or some other electronic source) that highlights what you have learned about the career you researched.

The presentation needs to include the information from the outline included in this assignment.

Be sure to create a professional looking presentation.

The research you’ve done should be documented in MLA styles. Here are two sites that will help you learn how to cite your findings correctly.
http://www.thewritesource.com/mla.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html.

(You will save your work in your network folder. You will use the SmartBoard to show your presentation.
Please be sure to hand in a copy of handout slides from your presentation. If you do not know how to do this, see me. I will show you how.)

Grading Rubric for Career Research Paper & Presentation (The information below represents an "A" presentation. To see the entire grading rubric see me in class.)


Content
Project contains detailed and pertinent information from all categories of the research project.

Preparedness
Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed. Presentation flows smoothly.

MLA Format
All information is cited properly using MLA format. MLA citation contains no errors.

Appearance
PowerPoint is well organized and is clear and easy to read.

Posture and Eye Contact
Shows a full understanding of the topic. Stands up straight, looks relaxed and confident. Establishes eye contact with everyone in the room during the presentation.

Volume
Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation.

Speaks Clearly
Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words.

Questions To Go with College Entrance Essay Webquest

Below is an unformated version of the worksheet we will be doing in class on Monday. The goal here is to get you take a close look at the great links I have found for you. My hope is that this will help you feel armed with the knowledge and models of writing that will help you feel like you can tackle this task and come out a winner.

Writer’s Guide to Creating an Awesome College Entrance Essay Selecting a Topic:

Go to http://www.englishclub.com/writing/college-application-essays/lt_selecting.html to find the related article

1. Look at the list of 15 questions you should ask yourself after you have chosen a topic. Write a summary of the most important ones.

2. Make a list of the 3+ questions/issue that could be a challenge for you. Next to it, explain how you will deal with/overcome that difficulty:

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Recipe For A Draft:
Gather the information for these next questions by visiting:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/111.html
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/9406.html
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/9405.html

3. 6 Steps Towards Writing a Draft (From “Kick Start Your College Essay” & 3 Steps To a Great College Essay”):

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4. What Should You Make Sure You Do?

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5. What Should You Make Sure You DON”T do?

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6. List the Three Essay Styles to Consider: (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/9405.html)

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7. List the Four Editing Tips:

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8. If you are applying for a college/scholarship that asks a specific question, write it down here. If you don’t have one, look at the sample/generic prompts on our College Essay links and pick one to write about:
Links: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/apply/essay-skills/108.html

9. Look through the sample essays and find one that is close to the topic you will write one. Read the essay and make a list of the things the writer did well and a list of where the writer could have improved:
Links: http://www.englishclub.com/writing/college-application-essays/lessonone.html
http://www.englishclub.com/writing/college-application-essays/lo_college.html

The Writer Did a Good Job….. The Writer Could Have Improved By…

Writing Your College Entrance or Scholarship Application Essay - Useful Liks

In an effort to help you get ready for the next step in applying for college, scholarships or a career, we will be working on writing excellent college application essays. We will begin by critiquing sample essays. Then we will move on to having you write your own essay. I want it to be useful for you so visit with me if there are some specific prompts, types or requests concerning what your topic will be.

Here are links we will use to help you through this process:

We will begin with brainstorming for ideas. This will be similar to some of the other kinds of questions and surveys you have already done in class.

1. Follow the Brainstorming for your college essay worksheet link and complete the questions.

2. To further refine your thinking read the questions to help you develop the ideas generated from the brainstorming worksheet. Also consider a few more Questions to Consider About Your Topic Before Actually Writing.

3. Then read and consider the advice offered in Write an Effective College Application Essay.

4. Do the activities at Recipe for a Draft (of Your College Entrance Essay)

5. If you need some ideas, inspiration or just some idea of what other essays look like you can find many sample Essays which are grouped by prompt type here.

Here's the expected schedule:
Friday 9/5 Continue to read and critique sample essays. (You're IN or OUT)
Homework: Complete the "Brainstorming Worksheet #1" Due on Monday.

Mon. 9/8 Take a look at the links offered above. Begin to generate a draft of an essay.
Due: Brainstorming Worksheet #1

Tues. 9/10 Finish looking at the links and continue to work on writing a draft.

Wed./Thurs Finish writing your draft. Have two people in class give you feedback on your essay. Be ready type the essay on Friday.

Fri. 9/12 Type out the draft of your essay. This is the only day we have to do this. If you do not finish it in class you will need to complete it at home. The typed draft is due on Tues. 9/16