Cover Letters
A cover letter is an important business letter that accompanies your resume when it is mailed to an employer. Its purpose
is to introduce your resume and to give you an opportunity to exhibit your personality and enthusiasm for the job. An
original cover letter should be created for each resume you send, and targeted to the specific position and organization.
Your cover letter should address four general areas: why you are writing; what your experience/education offers; why you
are interested in the position and organization; and what you want to happen next.
Common Guidelines
Paragraph and page length: 3-4 paragraphs and 1 page.
Font type and size: Arial, Times New Roman, Gill Sans (easy to read types), 11-12 pt size.
Your name and mailing address should always be included along with the date.
Use a standard business letter format for cover letters.
Margins: ¾ inch to 1 inch on all sides. Keep sides symmetrical.
Write a unique cover letter for each position you apply to.
Address your letter to a specific person; avoid “To Whom It May Concern” and “Dear Sir/Madam”. If it is not
possible to get a specific name be specific about department or role (ex. “Dear Human Resources Staff” or “Dear
Search Coordinator”)
Proofread each cover letter and have others review it for typos, grammar and clarity. Do NOT depend on Spell
check or Grammar check on the computer!
Name the document appropriately when saving to your computer (ex., Jane Doe State Farm Cover Letter 2015.doc).
Save your cover letters as .pdf documents for easy electronic transmission.
Print on white or off-white, high quality paper using a laser printer.
Don’t forget to sign it.
Make it Unique – Tips for Great Cover Letters
Tailor your letter to the requirements of the position and the employer's needs. Know your reader and his/her
organization.
Gather information about the company from recent press articles, magazines or directories. The Career Center
website offers a number of company research tools: www.stockton.edu/career. Use this information in your
cover letter to show you have done your research and are really interested in the company.
Write each letter to a specific person. If it takes a few phone calls to obtain this information, make them.
Grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph while mentioning the position in which you are interested.
Avoid using the word “I” to start the letter or to start more than one paragraph in the entire letter.
Do not be afraid to inject your own personality into the cover letter, but do so carefully. The letter should not be
informal.
Do not say anything negative about your employment situation or your life in general.
Write each letter in your own words, not something you copied out of a book. Canned letters get canned
responses or no response at all.
Stockton University Career Education and Development
Campus Center, Suite 104 www.stockton.edu/career
609-652-4650