cover letter tips

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter

• Write a full letter. A few sentences or even one or two paragraphs are not enough. This is your chance to sell yourself—use the letter to market yourself.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. And then have someone else proofread. Do not rely solely on the spell-check feature of your word processing software. Spell-check programs do not catch every mistake.
• Your cover letter is more than just a cover letter; it is a writing sample. Your potential employer will pay attention to how well you write because he or she will eventually need for you to write things such as grants, reports, proposals, board reports, newspaper articles, book reviews, etc. Your future supervisor will not have the time or desire to correct your grammar and writing errors.
• Do not begin every paragraph in your letter with the word “I.” Too many sentences beginning with “I have”, “I would”, “I am”, and “I will” are apt to make you look like a less than stellar writer.
• Your cover letter should not be all about you and your needs. Talk about what you can do for your potential employer. The employer wants to know how you can help make his or her library a better place.
• Do your research. Before you write your letter, do some research on the library you are applying to. You may find a way to work some of your newfound knowledge into your cover letter. For example: “From viewing your website, I noticed that your library is beefing up its outreach to the elderly in the community. I have a keen interest in services to this group; I planned and presented a program for seniors as one of my class projects.” Look for opportunities to demonstrate how your experience or skills match up with the employer’s needs.
• Your cover letter should not be a recital of your resume. It should offer an intriguing glimpse of who you are and what you can do. The cover letter should pique the employer’s interest enough that he or she will want to then read your resume. The cover letter and resume combined should provoke the employer to want to bring you in for an interview.
• Put it on paper. If you send a cover letter and resume via email or fax, be sure to state that you will also send a print copy. Then make sure you send the print copies promptly.
• Quality counts. Always use high-quality cotton bond resume paper. Yes, employers do pay attention to such things.
• Quality counts, again. Make sure the printer you are using makes clear, clean, crisp printouts.
• Make sure the font size is legible. The employer should not have to squint to see the font. Generally, a size 11 or 12 font will work well.
• Don’t be sloppy with the details. NEVER hand-correct (with pen or pencil) a typo on your cover letter. Make sure you have saved the document, then go back and make the correction and print out a freshly corrected copy. Otherwise, the employer might think you would turn in similarly untidy assignments if hired.
• Typewritten letters only, please. Do not submit a handwritten cover letter.
• Avoid over-using the same words throughout your document. This is a common mistake and it makes for tiresome reading. You want to impress your reader, not put him to sleep. Commonly over-used words: experience; opportunity; library; librarian; and position.
• Do not state in your cover letter that you will call to arrange an interview. While some interview books may advocate this approach, the risk of alienating your potential employer is not worth it. You will come off as pushy, and not many employers will want to bring someone like that on board.
• Make sure your cover letter and resume jive. Do not make a statement in your cover letter that conflicts with the facts on your resume, or vise versa. Accuracy and truthfulness are key.


Prepared by April Ritchie, MSLS
Adult Services Coordinator
Erlanger Branch
Kenton County Public Library