Cover Letter Checklist [IMPORTANT READ]

Here you can appreciate an interesting and basic checklist for use in evaluating cover letters you have written before they are completed and mailed. It provides a basic list of “do’s” and “don’ts” that can be used as a last-minute check to ensure maximum cover-letter effectiveness and impact.

COVER LETTER “DO’S”

1. Maintain all cover letters to a single page, no exceptions!
2. Be brief and concrete.
3. Exclude any unnecessary words that add nothing to clarity or meaning.
4. Proofread for poor grammar, spelling, and typos; they can be deadly!
5. Always address letters to a specific individual, never to a general function.
6. Unless responding to an ad where instructions suggest the opposite, always send letters directly to functional managers rather than the human resources or employment department.
7. Even where ads specify you are to send your response to human resources, do the necessary research and send a second copy directly to the manager of your target function.
8. Maintain job descriptions brief and pithy.
9. Focus your letter on relevant results and achievements, not just job responsibilities.
10. Highlight significant accomplishments with bullet points; make sure they are seen!
11. Include compensation requirements, but only if you are certain they won’t screen you out from an otherwise attractive opportunity.
12. Include geographical preferences or restrictions, but not if they are likely to screen you out from an otherwise highly desirable opportunity.
13. Except when using the resume letter, be sure to include a well-written resume as an attachment to the cover letter.
14. Stick to standard business letter formats; avoid the creative or exotic.
15. Use only normally recommended typestyles.
16. Make effective use of “white space”, making your letter easy to read.
17. Use standard business paper, 20- or 24-pound bond, either white or buff in colour.

COVER LETTER “DON’TS”

1. Never use a cover letter that is more than a single page in length.
2. Don’t be verbose and ramble on and on.
3. Don’t use redundant words that add little or no meaning to the core message.
4. Avoid allowing poor grammar, bad spelling, or typos to eliminate your employment chances.
5. Never address correspondence to a general function; always use a specific person’s name.
6. Never send your cover letter to human resources or the employment function (unless required by an employment ad).
7. When sending your response to an ad, don’t send it only to the human resources department. Always send a second copy directly to the management of the hiring function.
8. Avoid lengthy job descriptions in the cover letter. These can be boring and waste important space that can otherwise be used to market your value and key accomplishments.
9. Don’t focus your cover letter on job responsibilities; instead focus the reader’s attention on your key achievements and accomplishments (that is, your value).
10. Don’t hide key accomplishments down in the bowels of the letter’s text. Instead, highlight them using bullets and appropriate spacing to make them stand out.
11. Avoid highlighting mundane achievements.
12. Don’t overcrowd text, making your cover letter difficult to read.
13. Don’t include compensation requirements if this may possibly screen you out from a highly desirable opportunity in which you have a strong interest. Keep your options open!
14. Avoid including restrictive language that suggests you are geographically inflexible, especially when applying for that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you’ve always wanted. You can always say no later.
15. Unless using the resume letter, don’t send just a cover letter. Always include a well-written resume as an attachment.
16. Don’t use strange or uncommon letter formatting; use conventional business formatting only.
17. Avoid using fancy or decorative typestyles. Stick to conventional business styles only.
18. Don’t use unusually lightweight or heavyweight papers; stick to either 20- or 24-pound bond (no exotic colours).

Before mailing, faxing, or e-mailing each cover letter you prepare, completes the following checklist to be sure that you have met all the rules for cover letter writing. If you cannot answer “yes” to all of the questions, go back and edit your letter as necessary before mailing it.

The only questions for which a “no” answer is acceptable are questions #5 and #6, which relate specifically to the company to which you are writing.

Cover letter checklist		YES	NO
1.	Do I convey an immediate understanding of “who” I am within the first two sentences of my cover letter?
2.	Is my cover letter format unique, and does my letter stand out?
3.	Have I highlighted my most relevant qualifications?
4.	Have I highlighted my most relevant achievements?
5.	Have I included information I know about the company or the specific position for which I am applying?
6.	Have I highlighted why I want to work for this company?
7.	Is my letter neat, clean, and well-presented without being over-designed?
8.	Is my letter error-free?
9.	Did I have someone else proof my letter?
10.	Is my cover letter short and succinct, preferably no longer than one page?
11.	Do I ask for an interview in the letter?