Cover Letter for a Resume

The cover letter serves as a letter of introduction, and is submitted with your resume.  Your cover letter should be tailored to the specific job for which you are applying and should emphasize your basic qualifications.  It should be concise, neat and grammatically correct.

The body of the cover letter should include the following:

• the first paragraph includes why you are contacting the employer and how you learned about the job 
• the second paragraph presents your basic qualifications and what you can contribute to the job
• the third paragraph expresses an interest in the company, your desire to interview, and contact information

A cover letter introduces you to an organization even if there are no job openings at the present time.  Paper clip the cover letter to the front of your resume!