T3 - Cover Letters

1. TUTORIAL3 | cover letters
T01 &T07
TA:CELIA BEKETA

2. TUTORIAL3 | cover letters
1. what’syour brand?
2. cover letters
3. hook activity
4. action items

3. what’s yourbrand?

4. what’s your brand?
• 2 minutesto jot down4-5 wordsthat describeyoubest
• To do with skills, personality etc.
THINK: Ifyouhad 30 seconds to describewho youare…what would yousay?

5. CAN you dothe
job?
Do you
WANT
thejob?
Are you
theright
FIT?

6. cover
email
resume &
cover
letter
interview

7. whydo wewritecover letters?

8. why cover letters
• shows yourintentionsand interests
• sincerity and research
• demonstrates abilityto communicate
• creative and personal
• opportunityto elaborateonyourstoriesand personality
• drawn from yourskills matrix

9. resumevs. cover letter?

10. the resumeisaboutyou
the coverletter isaboutthem

11. elements ofa cover letter
opening
skills matching
closing
integration
branding

12. opening
Dear hiringmanager,
mynameis celia beketa andI’m applyingforyour full-
timeanalystposition.I believeI havethenecessary
qualificationstofitthisrole.

13. opening
Dear hiringmanager,
mynameis celia beketa andI’m applyingforyour full-
timeanalystposition.I believeI havethenecessary
qualificationstofitthisrole.

14. opening
• expresses keenand genuineinterestfor the position
• Genuineand uniqueprimaryand secondary research indicatinginterestin
company
• Name drop(where applicable)
• makes a clear expressionof theskills/experience matching thejob
description

15. opening -examples
How fast can you change four tires? One hour? Ten minutes? A few years ago I witnessed a Formula One team do it in
2.7 seconds. They said a perfect run would be just one second. In everything that I do I strive to reach that one
second – that perfect test score, that perfect presentation, that perfect career. After speaking with Jake Woodson, a
recent hire, Dion Chen, and other industry professionals, I know that my personality and passion lies in sales and
trading. Through my unique athletic background and passion, I will provide competitiveness and drive that will set a
benchmark for future interns. I cannot wait to sit on a trading floor, execute trades, and engage in research while
receiving mentorship from the most world-­‐renowned investment bank. A career with Goldman Sachs is my one second
and this is how I will help Goldman reach its own one second ideal:

16. the hook
How fast can you change four tires? One hour? Ten minutes? A
few years ago I witnessed a Formula One team do it in 2.7
seconds.
My passion is “impact”.

17. activitytime

18. activity

19. skills matching

20. skillsmatching
• Skills fromyourskills matrix match thejob description(use STARL)
• Best relevant experiences
• Link educationand other trainingto thejob, and linkto theco/positionifit’s not
obvious
• Any otherqualifications

21. skillsmatching
• UseSTARL to youradvantage – Action and Link!
• Each lineprovesyouhave the necessary skills & aptitudesto performonthe job
• Alwayslinkto the company/positionifnotobvious
• Useskills listed inthe jobdescription

22. skillsmatching -examples

23. closing

24. closing
“Thankyou for lookingat myapplication.I hopethatI
haveshownyou thatmyinterpersonal skills,my
leadership skills,andmyabilitytoperform on a team
makeme a perfect fitforABC position. Thankyou very
much andI hopeto hearfrom you soon.”

25. closing
“Thankyou for lookingat myapplication.I hopethatI
haveshownyou thatmyinterpersonal skills,my
leadership skills,andmyabilitytoperform on a team
makeme a perfect fitforABC position. Thankyou very
much andI hopeto hearfrom you soon.”

26. closing
• Make a goodfinalimpression
• Showyourpassion
• Restate skills witha differentwording
• Givegenuinethanks
• Leave a call to action
• Tieto previousexamples/stories (tieto hook)

27. closing- example

28. closing– oneother note
NO.
address theelephant!
• grades
• year off
• etc.

29. branding

30. branding
• Consistent throughoutcover letter
• Fits inwiththecompany’s values &yours
• Create theimageyouwantto project
• UseJob Research Assignment
remember yourbrand? useit.

31. integration

32. integration
• Clear consistent brandingthroughouttheresumeand cover letter documents
• All necessary informationis displayed,format/tone/font/style isappropriate, and
the candidatedisplaysthe bestimpressionofhim/herself

34. formatting

35. formatting– beginning
Date
Contact
Name
(if
known)
Their
Title
Company
Name
Address
1
Address
2
(if
extra
space
needed)
City,
Province,
Postal
Code
Re:
Position
Title
and
Reference
Number
(if
applicable)
Dear
First
Name
Last
Name,(unless
you
know
for
sure
the
woman's
marital
status
then
you
can
put
Mrs.
Ms.
Or
Mr.
If
in
doubt,
“Hiring
Manager”)
[Opening
Paragraph]

36. formatting– end
[Closing
Paragraph]
Sincerely
or
Regards
or
Kind
Regards,
Full
Name
BCom Candidate,
(year
of
completion)
Sauder
School
of
Business
Attached:
Resume
(in
an
actual
application
you
may
also
be
including
transcripts,
etc.)

37. cover emails

38. cover emails – what does itlooklike?
• <150 words
• Utilizebold face typeto emphasizeimportantpoints
• Showyourbrand& personality
• Make them wantmore!
• I.e. Resume, Cover Letter and and Interview!

39. Subject: Job Title – Your Name OR come up with a very short hook for example “Beer & people lover
has found her dream internship” or “Your new HR Intern is inside” or “HIRING MANAGER NAME, I’m
excited!” Depending on how cool the company is.
To: Name of job poster/whom it may concern/hiring manager (never write Dear Sirs – hello sexism!),
Your advert posted on WEBSITE NAME for JOB TITLE really caught my attention; Labatt has “good things
brewing” and I would love to be a component of the “good things”. I believe my XYZ (people
management) experience alongside my drive, tenacity and exemplary communications skills are a solid
match to your needs. I also match the job requirements in the following ways:
• 2 years of leadership experience
• Exceptional presentational skills
• Advanced Excel capabilities
• UBC Innovation Award recipient
• 5 years’ experience organizing team building activities
I am confident that I will be a fantastic addition to your team! I have attached my resume and cover
letter, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have or to set up an
interview on 778-XXX-XXXX.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Your name
(778)-XXX-XXXX
Email address
LinkedIn profile URL

40. questions?

41. action items

42. action items
• TUTORIAL Next week
• For tutorial – 2 hard copyCover Letter drafts for Peer review
• SkillsMatrix due Friday, October 14th@ 2pmon Turnitin
• Sign up for OfficeHours
• register for turnitin:
• t01 CLASS ID:13710262 PASSWORD:pickles (alllowercase)
• t07 class id:13710299 password:pickles (alllowercase)

43. action items – T01
NEXT MONDAYIS THANKSGIVING
COME TOMYWEDNESDAY TUTORIAL (9-10 HA296)
or email meif you can’tmake thattime