CREDITS: Much
of the material in this section (except the cover letter
samples) came from the Career
Center for students’ Guidebook: Job
Search Guide 2005-2006. We are grateful for their permission
to edit and use these materials.
Introduction
The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce
you and show the prospective hiring manager and Search
Committee that :
Your background fits their particular
job and department
You have done your homework on the department
You can be an asset to the hiring manager
Use the cover letter to expand on points
from your resume that you feel are especially noteworthy
or relevant.
Always
include a cover letter along with a resume.
Prepare an original cover letter for each
position – NOT a form letter.
Research
the prospective department; go to http://www.berkeley.edu/registry/null.html and
type in the department name—most departments have their
own websites) to see how your skills, abilities, and interests
match beyond what you have already learned from the eRecruit
job description.
Make sure you understand the mission of
the department; are you genuinely interested in furthering
their mission?
Be open to waiting for a position in a
department that excites you. You are more likely
to be hired into positions when you are enthusiastic about
the opportunity.
In your cover letter, show how you are a good
fit. Address your cover letter to the Search Committee.
Use the job posting
Take a good look at the job responsibilities and qualifications
and design your cover letter to match these as much as you can.
If job postings are vague, draw
from your research of jobs with the same classification or
other jobs in the same department to infer what skills and
abilities might be required.
Compare your background
Think about your background in relation
to the job responsibilities and qualifications.
Ask yourself, “What have I done that
is the same or similar to what this job entails?”
Career
Development How To Develop Cover Letter
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