Read Chapter Eight

The goals of this class session are:

• To construct cover letters and other business correspondence
• To learn to email employers appropriately

Business letters can be intimidating at first but after you have learned the basic form of a business letter and constructed one good cover letter, you can revise easily for each new application. While every cover letter should be personalized to a specific employer and job, some paragraphs can be stored, revised, and used again. Keep copies of every cover letter you send.

When to use cover letters:

• Always "cover" a resume to be mailed with a cover letter, explaining why you are applying for that particular position
• A cover letter should be addressed to a specific person whenever possible, not "To Whom it May Concern" or "Dear Employer". Research or network to the information you need.
• A cover letter is not necessary if you are meeting an employer directly, giving your resume to a networking connection, or attending a job fair.
• Cover letters should address the issues raised in the employment ad or job description.
• They should be printed on matching resume paper.

Explore these cover letter resource sites, and based on your research, construct a persuasive cover letter to place in your Portfolio. Base your letter on a particular job opportunity, and please include a copy of the employment description, if available, in your Portfolio.

Quintessential Careers; or Career Center website -under Cover letters, of course

After every networking interview, practice interview or employment interview, a thank-you letter is appropriate. Research the multiple uses of thank-you letters at your favorite  sites and put a thank-you letter addressing a specific situation in your Portfolio.

More employers are inviting emailed resumes, correspondence by email, and online application than ever before. How to be sure that you are communicating appropriately in that medium when etiquette is new and shifting, and different work environments encourage different levels of formality is challenging.

Review the section on "Emailing Employers" in Chapter Eight of your textbook. It is well-written and covers most critical issues on the topic. Now, go online and search career advice sites for other perspectives and advice on emailing employers.

Based on your research, construct an email to an employer, indicating your interest in a position the employer has advertised in a online employment database and including your resume with the email. Address it to me at craigkm@hiram.edu with STDV 611 in the Subject line and put it in your Portfolio

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Class Session Ten