COMM 202 Tutorial 3: Cover Letters

LAPTOPS & PHONES AWAY! NAME TENTS OUT!

T15 + T17

AGENDA For today

YourBrand

CoverLe.ers

HookAc4vity

Ac4onItems

Course Timeline Week 5 Week 9 Week 6 Week 8 Week 7

•  Intro to cover letters

•  Skills matrix drafts due

•  Cover letter peer review

•  Cover letter drafts due

•  Skills matrix due Friday, October 14th @ 2:00PM

•  LinkedIn / networking

•  Event networking / informational interviews

•  Cover letter & resume due Tuesday, November 1st @ 2:00PM

•  Networking event on November 3rd

•  Resume peer review

•  Resume drafts due

Skills Matrix Due Next Friday!

What is your

BRAND?

Activity •  Take 2 min to write down 4-5 words that describe you

–  Have them be related to your skills, personality, etc.

THINK LIKE THIS:

IF YOU HAD JUST 30 SECONDS TO DESCRIBE WHO YOU ARE..

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Let’s learn about COVER LETTERS

The application process

Cover Email Resume & Cover Letter interview Get Hired!

Why do we write cover letters anyways?

Why cover letters •  Shows your intentions and interests

–  sincerity and research

•  Demonstrates ability to communicate –  creative and personal

•  Is an opportunity to elaborate on your stories and personality –  drawn from your skills matrix

Resume vs. Cover Letter

Resume is about you Cover Letter is about them!

CAN-WANT-FIT

CANyoudothejob?

DoyouWANTthejob?

AreyoutherightFIT?

Elements of a cover letter

Opening

Skills Matching

closing

integration branding

The Opening

Dear , My name is , and I am applying to .

The Opening

Dear , My name is , and I am applying to .

Opening the right way •  Expresses keen and genuine interest and/or passion for position

•  Genuine and unique primary and secondary research indicating

interest in company (make sure the research you show is tied to your interest)

•  Name drop (where applicable)

•  Makes a clear expression of the skills/experience matching the job description

An Example

Another Example

My OWN ta’s opening 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:

Your Turn!

Skills Matching •  Skills from your skills matrix match

the job description (use STARL)

•  Best relevant experiences

•  Link education and other training to the job, and link to the co/position if it’s not obvious

•  Any other qualifications If it doesn’t belong, don’t include it!

Skills Matching Example

Skills Matching Example

Skills Matching… •  Each line proves you have the necessary skills &

aptitudes to perform on the job

•  Always link to the company / position if not obvious

•  Use skills listed in the job description

Now for my favourite part.

Let’s talk about CLOSING

Closing

“Thank you for looking at my application. I hope that I have shown you that my interpersonal skills, my leadership skills, and my ability to perform on a team make me a perfect fit for ABC position. Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon.”

Closing

“Thank you for looking at my application. I hope that I have shown you that my interpersonal skills, my leadership skills, and my ability to perform on a team make me a perfect fit for ABC position. Thank you very much and I hope to hear from you soon.”

What a closing should be •  Make a good final impression

•  Show your passion

•  Restate skills with a different wording

•  Give genuine thanks

•  Leave a call to action

•  Tie to previous examples/stories (tie to hook)

What closing can also be •  Address the elephant in the room

–  bad grades –  relocation –  year of study

Elements of a cover letter

Opening

Skills Matching

closing

integration branding

???

Branding •  Remember your brand? Use it

•  Consistent throughout cover letter

•  Fits in with the company’s values + yours

•  Good impression

•  Use Job Research Assignment

INTEGRATION

•  Cover letter + resume use SAME formatting

•  Stands out!

•  Cover letter reflects and expands on resume

•  Be mindful of spacing

Some Formatting Help Date Contact Name Their Title Company Address City, Province, Postal Code Re: Position Title Dear Mr. / Ms. Their Last Name OR Hiring Manager

These spaces are important

If unknown, this can be omitted

AVOID: “To Whom it May Concern” “Dear Sir or Madam”

Country is typically unnecessary unless applying outside of Canada

Some Formatting Help

Some Formatting Help

Some Formatting Help

Cover emails… •  <150 words •  Utilize bold face type to emphasize important

points •  Show your brand & personality

•  Make them want more! –  ie. resume, cover letter and interview!

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

One last thing

Turnitin registration: o T15: Class ID: 13702978,

Enrollment Password: comm202

o T17: Class ID: 13703087, Enrollment Password: comm202

REGISTER FOR TURNITIN ASAP

Action items

1. Sign up for office hours! 2. Cover letter draft due next tutorial!

Bring two copies + Your Job Posting 3. Skills Matrix Due Next Friday @2PM on TURNITIN 4. Tutorials next week!

QUESTIONS?