UMass Amherst Alumni Association

Your Career

Career Tips: Cover Letters

Never send a resume without a good cover letter. The letter underscores how your skills and accomplishments, along with your career goals, make you an outstanding candidate for that particular position. It also eliminates the need to restructure a resume to match each job opening.

General Do's and Don'ts:

• Don't just restate the accomplishments verbatim from the resume. The purpose of the letter is to arouse the interest of the reader and make him/her want to read the resume.
• Start with a brisk statement that describes who you are and what you want.
• Use the next few sentences for your "sales" pitch, based upon your strengths and achievements.  
• Conclude with an action statement such as saying you'll call in a few days to arrange an appointment for an interview or to answer further questions about your skills.
• Don't say more than you have to. Try to stay away from boxing yourself in on salary requirements by indicating "my salary requirements are negotiable".
  

Career tips are brought to you by the UMass Amherst Alumni Association and CareerTools®.