cover letter

i have not read this yet, just copied n pasted for other ppl to reference if they want.

Okay, now to the cover letter.  Even though it should only be about 2/3rd's
of a page long, most everyone, student and professional, hates writing a
cover letter because you have to compliment yourself. Here is the secret
formula for a perfect cover letter:

Part I:  This is why I'm so great.--Relate your previous experiences/jobs to
the current job listing. "When I was at blah, my responsibilities were very
similar to your public relations duties..."

Part II:  This is why I'd be so great for you.--Talk about what you'd bring
to the position. "You would find me a particularly conscientious employee,
understanding that customer service response time is the most important
aspect of this position."

And if you want, you can switch the order of parts I and II (exciting, eh?).

A cover letter lets you do what you shouldn't do in a resume, use subjective
words. In a cover letter you can show some emotion or enthusiasm. It should
be 2/3-3/4 of a page long and THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GENERIC COVER
LETTER, it must always be personalized and mention the position you're
applying for by name. So you merely alter your existing cover letter.

Easy, yes?  Here's an example, this student added what we dubbed, "goals and
aspirations," which is fine because you're students, and then Part II.
___________________________________________________________________
April 24, Year
Company Name Here
Their Address Here
Attn.:  Name of Recipient Here
Re: Financial Planner Internship

Dear Name Here,
I am very interested in the Financial Planning Internship for several
reasons.  As a University of California, Berkeley student with plans on
majoring in business, I hope to obtain experience in the world of market
research and portfolio assessment.  My background in business includes
helping my father run his business, participating in the Asian Business
Association, and the courses I've taken at Cal.  I am eager to obtain more
practical experience and gain further knowledge in this field.

During my senior year of high school, I interned under Franklin Minty, of
Reliable Motors of America.  I worked assisting him with marketing
strategies and campaigns.  The information he provided me was invaluable,
and I was fortunate to accompany him to various meetings with ad agencies,
board meetings, and observe the product design process as well. I enjoyed
learning these aspects of the business world and believe it to be a good
foundation for expansion.

As with marketing, the value of a corporation relies ultimately on its
product.  In the area of financial planning, I believe the same holds true.
Without careful attention to detail and knowledge of the customer's
goals, the end product will not be as marketable as it could.  That is,
customer satisfaction will not be high. Currently, as a student at Cal, I am
discovering the avenues that I hope will lead to my career in business.  I
realize that my plans may change, and I hope the opportunity of working with
your company will help me decide which path to choose.

I believe my resume reflects the attitude I bring into a position of
employment.  I am punctual, responsible, enjoy working with others, and can
approach situations in need of problem-solving from a creative viewpoint.  I
focus on the task at hand, and do not let trivial disturbances hinder my
work.  I know that work is a means to further my education and career goals
and am grateful for the opportunity it provides.

I hope to meet with you to further discuss my qualifications.  Thank you for
your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
__________________________________________________________________


Is a cover letter important? Seeing "send resume/cover letter" in a job
posting may give some folks the
impression that a cover letter is optional. Great news for you! Sending in a
cover letter will give you an extra edge.

Finally, keep the "this is why I'd be so great for you" angle in mind, not
"this is why you/this job would be so great for me." A little is okay,
something about "excited for the opportunity..." but it shouldn't be the
focus.

Pretend the employer is grizzled and jaded. They have a job to be done and
quite frankly, they could care less if the job is good for you. If you write
the cover letter with THAT person in mind, convincing him or her to
bring you in for an interview, you'll never go wrong.

And, to give you a crystal ball look at the possible future, we include a
student who graduated not long ago (Business) and her incredibly
well-written cover letter (but remember, I changed the names of everything).

_____________________________________________________________________
YOUR NAME
Address, Phone, Email
Jennifer Smith March 09, 2004
Equity Capital Markets
Terrible Two's & Co.
12 New York Plaza, 60000th Floor
New York, NY 10012

Dear Ms. Smith:

You and I met during my summer internship with Terrible Two's & Co.
Electronic Commerce group this past summer.  As the only UC Berkeley student
involved in the Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodity training
program, I gained unparalleled exposure and experience to Fixed Income and
more importantly to Terrible Two's' distinctive culture.  You will need
individuals who are able to excel in such a dynamic environment to fill
your investment banking class.  I am well prepared to excel as an investment
banking intern at Terrible Two's, as my financial services background and
academic performance demonstrate.  I am excited about the opportunity to
return to Terrible Two's where the culture is challenging and demanding,
while focused on providing its analysts with unmatched development.

My excellent analytic and qualitative skills have been developed through
occupational and academic training.  During my internship with Elevated
Commerce, I contributed qualitative and quantitative analysis on developing
strategy for electronic marketing of securities and trading after meeting
with various experts, and then presenting my ideas to the group.  I was
responsible for maintaining a database of 10,000 clients, and of taking care
of two analyst's desks during their week-long series 7 & 63 training.

In order to gain greater exposure to the bank, I requested to sit in on the
Debt Capital Markets trading desk for a day.  This request was granted, and
I had the opportunity to see first hand what steps lead to the origination
of a bond.  In addition to both analytic and qualitative skills, my
quantitative skills were also strengthened this past semester at the Haas
School of Business.  I worked on a group financial analysis project, and we
examined the financial statements and ratios of Whale Oil Dynamics,
determining that investing in its stock would not be profitable.

In addition to business courses, I work at the Financial Aid Office Quality
Assurance Program where I am able to exercise my practical statistics
knowledge on a day to day basis, while fully supporting my college
education.

While my analytic and qualitative skills were developed through my work
experiences and business courses, my ability to work within a team was
refined through my involvement in the UC Berkeley Latino Business Student
Association (LBSA) as the Vice President of Professional Affairs.  Last
semester, I dedicated several hours coordinating professional and
informational events for our members, including workshops on writing
resumes, interviewing, and networking.  My efforts, along with those of
fellow LBSA members, led us to make our charter semester at Cal a success.

Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to apply for Terrible Two's
& Co.'s investment banking internship program.  I look forward to speaking
with you soon so that we may further discuss my interest and
qualifications.

Sincerely,


Enclosure:  Resume