Tips for Creating Cover and Follow-up Letters

In most situations, your cover letter is your first contact with an employer. It should be addressed to a specific individual and closed with your signature. Unlike your résumé, which does not attempt to convey your personality, your cover letter should briefly reveal the best parts that make an employer want to read your résumé and invite you to an interview.

Whether you send your cover letter and résumé by mail, fax, or email, the effect is the same: It is your first written contact with the employer, and in most cases, an employer's first impression is his or her lasting impression.

Do you have a choice in picking which communication method to use? It depends on the invitation extended by the employer. If an employer asks for mailed or faxed cover letters and résumés, send your materials by mail or fax. If an employer wants to receive an e-mail cover letter with your résumé attached, send an email message. If an employer wants to talk to you on the phone before seeing your résumé or meeting with you, call. If you don't follow these rules, your unspoken message to the employer is that you are unwilling or unable to follow directions.

No matter which first-contact method you use, the message you convey should resemble the tone and content of a well-crafted cover letter: brief, concise, interesting, informative, professional, and courteous. If you are asked to call before you send any materials, consider writing an effective cover letter first and using it for reference during your phone conversation. If you receive a positive response from the employer, consider writing a second cover letter mentioning highlights of your conversation. Deliver this letter or take it with you, along with printed copies of your résumé.

Although there is no way to create a perfect cover letter that you can use in all situations, you can use these guidelines to thoughtfully examine your situation, put down the best possible words to capture an employer's interest, and get that phone call or letter to come in for an interview.

In all cases, no matter how you think the interview went, it's important for you to follow up with the employer. Unless you receive a job offer at the end of the first interview—which rarely happens—you may experience some degree of what could be called post-interview letdown.

Even when an interview goes well, most of us still experience some degree of letdown because 1) we need to "decompress" after any emotionally charged situation, and 2) we don't know yet whether we got the job. Looking for employment is one of the most important (and therefore stressful) activities in most peoples' lives.

But there also is good news: If you decide to immediately concentrate on following up with an employer after an interview, your feelings of "letdown" can disappear more quickly. Here are some reasons why...

• Sending a follow-up letter quickly gives you an opportunity to communicate any ideas or remarks that you neglected to mention during the interview.

• Writing a follow-up letter while the interview experience is still fresh in your mind helps you write the most effective letter possible. It also gives you a sense of continuity because you are performing an act that hopefully keeps communications open with the potential employer.

• The simple act of letter-writing also gives you a sense of closure, at least until you hear from the employer again. This closure allows you to quickly move on to preparing for an interview with another employer and focus completely on that effort.

• Whether you are offered a job or not, writing a follow-up thank you letter is good form, good manners, an act of gratitude, considerate, and employers appreciate the gesture. In fact, an employer may appreciate your follow-up letter enough to keep you in mind for future job openings, even if you are not selected this time around.

In the follow-up letter, your primary goals should be to:

• Convey a cordial greeting and expression of thanks for the interview opportunity

• Provide any information that the employer requested during the interview

• Briefly remind the employer of the high points of your interview

• Express your enthusiasm for the job and the employer

• Cordially invite the employer to contact you at their convenience to ask more questions or meet with you again

Whether you send your follow-up letter by mail, fax, or email, the effect should be the same: Your letter is a cordial, pleasant reminder of your best qualities exhibited during the interview, and it makes a lasting impression.

A Note About Handwriting: Unless your handwriting is highly legible, attractive, and unpretentious, type your follow-up letters (and all other written communications) to an employer. Illegible or flashy handwriting could have a negative effect, even after a successful interview.

Although there is no way to create a perfect follow-up letter that you can use in all situations, you can use the guidelines we just discussed and the sample letters included in the system. Include thoughts that either revive or maintain an employer's interest after an interview. Hopefully, you are asked to return for another interview - or to start your new job!