Cover Letter (Don’t Send Your Resume Off Without It!)

Never send your resume without it.  It is a great and very necessary selling tool.  I never send my resume out without one. 

The cover letter gives you a chance to talk about some other skills you may have, explaining gaps in your employment, etc. 

Cover letter no-nos:

Do not say, “I just love living in (name of your city)”.  This is totally irrelevant.

Or, “I’m excited about applying for this job.”  Not very professional (even if you are excited!)

Your cover letter should contain a beginning/intro paragraph; a middle paragraph containing the “meat” of your letter; and a closing paragraph.

Following is the cover letter I prefer and have used personally:

[Date]

VIA FACSIMILE NO. ________________        

Administrator [use this title if no contact name is provided]

Name of Law Firm [if available]

Address of Law Firm [if available]

Re:  Legal Secretary Position [or legal assistant, paralegal, etc. – adjust this according to which job you are applying for]

Dear ___________________:

Please find attached my personal resume for your review and consideration. I am interested in exploring with you further the parameters of the ____________ position currently open within your firm.  

I believe the qualities you seek are well matched by my track record.  Some of my relevant experience is listed below:

Your Needs                                                                My Qualifications

Legal Secretary                                                           2 years experience in an office

                                                                                    setting. (If you do not have

office experience, simply list the strengths you already have:

Highly organized and skilled

in client relations

(if you’re coming from the fast food or retail arenas)

Experience                                                                  2 years experience in an office

                                                                                    Setting (or wherever your

current experience is)

Strong Communications Skills                                       Ability to build good working

                                                                                    Relationships with clients and

                                                                                    co-workers.

Solid Education                                                            Graduated from _________

                                                                                    High School

                                                                                    Attended ___________ College

                                                                                    (list it even if you did not

complete your degree)

                                                                                    (Insert any info here concerning

                                                                        Brainbench or ExpertRating

certificates you may have

earned.)

Professional Accomplishments                                      Insert here anything you might

have done at a previous job that was rewarded or commended or

perhaps allowed you to do your

job more efficiently.

I look forward to discussing with you how my qualifications would benefit your company.

I may be contacted by calling __________________ or by sending an e-mail to _____________________ to set a mutually convenient appointment.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,