CAREER MANAGEMENT CENTER

AREER

ANAGEMENT

ENTER

Don’t settle on a job – Launch a CAREER!

Jindal.utdallas.edu/career

972.883.6916

COVER LETTER WRITING

The cover letter is a companion document to your resume, which addresses your interest in the company and most

relevant skills for a job/internship (indicates why you are specifically interested in this company, this particular position,

and why you think you would be a good match for the role). The Career Management Center recommends writing a

targeted cover letter for each company to which you apply. When the employer requests a cover letter, they expect a

well-written, grammatically correct document that clearly identifies how you meet the position requirements and

provides specific examples of your skills and experiences.

FORMATTING GUIDELINES

• 1 brief page for cover letter (no more than 3 – 4 paragraphs maximum) is strongly recommended

• Font size of 10, 11, or 12 point type using font styles such as Arial or Calibri (font style should match resume)

• Address the cover letter to a specific individual or department whenever possible; when in doubt, send to the

HR Department (research the employer website or review LinkedIn for potential contact names)

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH (3-5 sentences)

• Reference the employer and opportunity (job title) and how you learned about the position (website,

networking contact, industry forum, employer information session, career expo, LinkedIn)

• Explain your interest and motivation for the opportunity (tip: review the position description, employer’s

website and Careers webpage)

• Describe how your education, experiences, and goals/interests are connected to the employer (awareness and

understanding of company culture is very important in the hiring process; identify and specify how you are a

match for this opportunity - reference company products and services or community involvement, etc.)

• If you are applying for an internship, identify your learning objectives/goals for the experience

MIDDLE PARAGRAPH(S) (3-5 sentences)

• Write 1-2 brief paragraphs describing your specific skills and/or experience that relate to the requirements for

this position (do not repeat all of the information on your resume)

• Experiences can be paid or unpaid work, volunteer, internships, academic projects, leadership roles, study

abroad, military, or community involvement that relate to the company and the position

• Provide specific and detailed examples which describe your work or academic project accomplishments (tip:

complete a SWOT Analysis to identify your most powerful strengths and relevant professional goals)

• Connect your experiences to the job/internship of interest (tip: consider transferability of your skills to the

needs of the company)

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH (2-3 sentences)

• Affirm your interest in the company and their opportunity and include a follow-up statement/interview request

• Conclude with a thank you sentence (for consideration of your resume and candidacy)

AREER

ANAGEMENT

ENTER

Don’t settle on a job – Launch a CAREER!

Jindal.utdallas.edu/career

972.883.6916

Cover Letter Sample

Jane Doe

1234 Frankford Lane, Dallas, Texas 75001

972-123-4567 janedoe@utdallas.edu

www.linkedin.com/in/janedoe

August 22, 2021

Susan Smith

Chief Financial Officer

ABC Corp.

Dear Ms. Smith:

The description of a Financial Analyst at a company that inspires innovation and initiative intrigues and excites me. ABC

Corp. is known for its creativity and has built a reputation with its clients for delivering results. This aligns with my

personal values of embracing change, generating new ideas, and delivering excellence. I am pursuing my Masters in

Finance at the University of Texas at Dallas and will graduate in May 2018. Based on my understanding of the role, the

following points are most relevant:

• I have been an active contributor and leader in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship group, working locally with

startups, preparing budgets, forecasts and trend analysis to support private equity investment proposals.

• During my internship at GoFaster, I used forecasting models to analyze financial and market data, and presented

recommendations to leadership as part of the team project to identify a new product idea, and evaluate its

potential marketability.

• As a new (and temporary) member of the finance team, I quickly assimilated information and found ways to

contribute ideas in a constructive way. I identified several areas in the reporting that could be improved, and

worked closely with the others to refine the process, and implement. This reduced the time required by 20%.

My education, professional skills and experience would be a valuable asset to ABC Corp. I would appreciate the

opportunity to learn more about this position, and will contact you at the end of this week. If you have any questions, I

can be reached at 972.123.4567 or janedoe@udallas.edu at your convenience. Thank you for your time and attention to

my interview request. I look forward to learning more about ABC Corp.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

AREER

ANAGEMENT

ENTER

Don’t settle on a job – Launch a CAREER!

Jindal.utdallas.edu/career

972.883.6916

Cover Letter Sample

Jane Doe

1234 Frankford Lane, Dallas, Texas 75001

972-123-4567, janedoe@utdallas.edu

www.linkedin.com/in/janedoe

July 29, 2021

Peter Parker

President

Parker & Associates

Dear Mr. Parker:

Via my online research of accounting internships posted on the University of Texas at Dallas’ HireJSOM site, it is clear

that Parker & Associates’ focus on being their clients’ business partner and trusted advisor matches my goal. I will

receive my Bachelors in Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2019, and I’m very interested in

applying for your summer internship program. When volunteering with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program,

and seeing the happiness and satisfaction of my clients, I discovered that helping others with their taxes is genuinely

fulfilling. I believe that my education, professional skills and experience have prepared me for your internship. Based on

my understanding of this position and Parker & Associates, the following aspects of my background are most relevant:

 Communication: I excelled in my Business Communication class which has greatly improved my communication

skills. In addition, I completed the “Starbucks Challenge,” which required me to engage strangers at Starbucks at

least twice per week to join me in small talks to practice and improve my conversational English.

 Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving: I have written several individual tax research memos and received top

grades. I analyzed and summarized the tax information in the case problems, and researched related regulations

to support my conclusions. I am fond of doing research before I make a decision.

 Advanced Excel: I have strong knowledge of Excel and experienced with advanced formulas, Conditional

Formatting, Pivot Tables, Filters, and Solver. As an enthusiastic and responsible person, I enjoy teamwork, and I

can be a good leader and a good teammate.

 Time Management: I develop effective strategies for managing my time to balance conflicting demands. I always

set and prioritize clear goals, organize my schedule, and make an action plan. Last semester, I took 4 classes, was

involved in 3 student organizations, and provided tax service for VITA program. I received good grades, improved

many personal skills, and acquired knowledge beyond textbooks.

My education, professional skills and experience would be a valuable asset to your team. I would appreciate the

opportunity to learn more about your internship, and will contact you at the end of this week. If you have any questions,

I can be reached at 972.123.4567 or janedoe@udallas.edu at your convenience. Thank you for your time and attention

to my interview request. I look forward to learning more about your company.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

AREER

ANAGEMENT

ENTER

Don’t settle on a job – Launch a CAREER!

Jindal.utdallas.edu/career

972.883.6916

Cover Letter Sample

John Doe

800 West Campbell Road Richardson, Texas 75080

972.972.9722 johndoe@utdallas.edu

http://www.linkedin.com/public/johndoe

; twitter.com/#/JOHNDOEMBA

September 3, 2021

Jane Doe

Human Resources Manager

Deloitte

Dear Ms. Doe:

Thank you for attending the UT Dallas ITM Industry Forum and discussing the Deloitte Advisory Internship program. I

enjoyed our conversation about digital mobility applications and privacy and risk policies associated with emerging

technologies. The opportunity to work for a firm that values collaboration and inclusion and to travel the world is

appealing. I will complete my Masters in Information Technology & Management at the University of Texas at Dallas in

May 2018 and believe my three years of consulting experience within client relationship management and process

improvement have prepared me for this challenging and rewarding position.

As Client Relationship Manager at Gerson Lehrman Group, I helped clients utilize new technologies to improve system

processes and to achieve growth. Our team developed an innovative social media campaign through LinkedIn, Twitter,

and FourSquare to market the firm’s services to 125 new clients. I created the GLG Council LinkedIn group to provide

networking opportunities for our 1000+ members to share best practices and to collaborate on projects. Finally, we

established Twitter and FourSquare accounts to improve our clients’ productivity and efficiency through real time

communications.

My Summer Associate position at Morgan Stanley and strategic management coursework enhanced my research,

leadership, and teamwork skills within academic and corporate settings. Both experiences required research and time

management skills to efficiently review the training procedures and financial transactions of the top 100 Fortune 500

companies. I gained experience leading weekly meetings and producing summarized reports of each team member’s

progress. Our team implemented training policy revisions and initiatives such as utilizing Skype and GoToMeeting for

group trainings and recommended increasing the frequency of individual meetings with supervisors during the new hire

probationary period.

I am confident that my academic and professional experiences working in collaborative and high performing

environments have prepared me for the Deloitte Advisory Internship program. I will contact you by email the week of

September 16 to follow-up on my application and to address questions you may have. Thank you for your consideration

of my qualifications.

Sincerely,

John Doe