Cover letters vital in résumé skills
- The seminar, "What is a cover letter?", was held on March 26.
- During the seminar students learned the basics of writing a cover letter and why cover letters are important.
By Scott D’Amico, Staff Writer
First impressions are lasting. That’s true with people and employers.
Employment Services Coordinator Laura Choppy delivered that message to students March 26 during the “Career and Employment Power in 25 Minutes” workshop, “What is a cover letter?”
“That’s really the first thing an employer sees,” Choppy said.
During the workshop Choppy handed out a sample cover letter and a cover letter checklist.
The cover letter checklist included things such as: a statement regarding how the applicant heard about the position, a brief statement about why the applicant thinks he or she is qualified or interested in the job, a statement about how the applicant’s experiences relate to that person being qualified for the job, and a paragraph thanking the prospective employer.
The last thing on the checklist was proofreading for grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.
Although it may be last, it’s certainly not least.
Choppy said the cover letter also demonstrates communication abilities of a potential employee.
Business sophomore Porsha Webb said she learned cover letters can give an employer an idea of how someone would fit into their company.
“We learned that the cover letter is a way to connect with the company,” Webb said.
The next workshop in the “Career and Employment Power in 25 Minutes” series will be at noon on Monday, April 9, in the Career and Employment Services office, located in room 1F6 in the Main Building.
The topic will be “Why do I need a good résumé?”
For more information about cover letters or these workshops, contact Advising and Career Services at 405-682-1611, ext. 7535.
Staff Writer Scott D’Amico can be reached at onlineeditor@occc.edu.
