1Step
Cover Letter
Toolkit
Cover Letter Toolkit2
6 Steps to Create a Powerful Cover Letter
Step 1: The basics
Understand the purpose of a cover letter and all the information you need to include.
Step 2: Do your homework
Understand the employer and what they are looking for.
Step 3: Find your hook
Start with an opening paragraph that will capture the reader’s interest.
Step 4: Provide examples
In body paragraphs, use the START technique to describe your experience.
Step 5: Bring it all together
Create a strong closing paragraph that summarizes your interest and includes a call-to-action.
Step 6: Edit, edit, and edit
Proofread, edit and get feedback on your cover letter.
Cover Letter Toolkit2
Resources
Transferrable skills list, Skills Matching Worksheet, Template, Checklist for a Powerful Cover Letter, Cover
Letter Examples
Updated: 2020 February
3Step 1
The Basics
STEP 1
A cover letter is a one-page document that tells your potential future employer your story through specific and professional
examples. It is an opportunity to show how your academic, volunteer and work related experiences fit together and how relevant
or transferable they are for the position to which you are applying. Because your cover letter addresses the needs of a specific
employer, you need to tailor every cover letter that you write.
The goal of your cover letter is to demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in the position as well as that you CAN do, WANT and
FIT the job:
FIT WANT
CAN
Ideal
Candidate
Do you have the
technical or transferable
skills needed for the role?
What gets you excited
about the position?
Do you share similar
values and work styles?
This is the first impression the employer will have of you. Your cover letter should:
• Encourage the employer to continue reading your application.
• Focus on what you can do for the employer (not what the employer can do for you).
• Be professional, focused, and concise.
Cover Letter Toolkit4
Your cover letter at a glance
Your Name
*123 Street City, Province, Postal Code
Phone Number | Professional Email Address | *LinkedIn URL | *Portfolio Link
January 1, 2000
Contact Name
ContactTitle
Company Name
Company Address
Re: Position Title, Job ID Number
Dear First & Last Name or
Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Hiring Team:
Your first paragraph should grab the employer’s attention and work as a hook. You can make
reference to a previous conversation with the employer, or follow-up on a job lead provided by
someone you and the employer both know (ask for permission to use your contact’s name). Your
hook can also be interesting news about the employer, or what got you excited about the position
or company. Make sure you also highlight 2 – 3 skills you have that are relevant for the position.
Share your story through real and significant examples from previous work, extra-curricular
activities, design teams and/or volunteering experiences. Avoid the excessive use of adjectives
when describing your skills; instead, tell a story that demonstrates how you have used your skills in
the past and let the employer make their own positive conclusions about you.
What have you learned about the company through your research? If you find a strong point of
connection between you and the company such as sharing the same values, experience using their
services or products, make sure you mention it in your cover letter.
In your closing paragraph reaffirm your interest in and enthusiasm for the position, remember to
thank the employer, and provide your contact information as a call-to-action for the employer to
follow up with you.
Sincerely,
Your Name
[Discipline] Engineering Student (optional)
Encl. Resume, Transcript (and other required forms, if applicable)
Avoid “To Whom It May Concern” | “Dear Sir
or Madam” | Only use Mr., Mrs., Ms., if you are
absolutely certain of correct title to be used
Formatting Best Practices:
• Font size 9-12 pt.
• Use professional fonts that are easy to read such as Calibri, Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, Cambria, Garamond,
Book Antiqua, and Trebuchet MS.
• Fit on one page and is single-spaced.
Header - use the
same header as on
your resume
Date
Employer -
Contact
Subject
Salutation
Body
Paragraphs
Closing
Paragraphs
Complementary
Close
Signature
5Step 2
Do Your Homework
STEP 2
Planning and preparation
Before you begin to write a cover letter, you need to identify the relevant information to include by carefully analyzing the
emplo
yer’s job posting and researching the company. Once you understand what the employer is looking for and where you fit,
you can easily customize your cover letter to address the employer’s needs.
Normally, one should spend approximately one hour writing a cover letter, which includes research time. Nevertheless, people have
dierent writing styles and you may find yourself spending more or less time depending on the position. If you are applying for
similar roles, you may be able to utilize a previous cover letter and tailor as needed. Regardless of how much time you have spent
on your document, it should reflect that you genuinely care about the individual position to which you are applying.
1. Examine the Job Posting
After reading the job posting, can you picture a typical day of work in that position? If yes, chances are you have a good under-
standing of the job! However, some postings present very little information about the job, and sometimes identifying keywords or
key competencies for the position can be difficult. If you are in this situation, comparing multiple postings for similar roles can help
you idenitfy the appropriate keywords to include in your cover letter.
If you have at least 51% of the technical skills required for the position and are genuinely interested in the role, you should apply
for the position. It is important to remember that no candidate will possess 100% of the required skills.
2. Company Research
Research each company you apply to in order to relate your skills appropriately and by answering the following questions, you can
gather enough information that will impress any employer:
• Has there been any recent company news?
• Does the company culture, vision and mission align with your values?
• In what type of activities is the company engaged? Are there any projects you are interested in?
• Where is the company and its oce(s) located? Do I need to relocate?
• In which business sector does the company operate?
3. Use the company’s voice in your cover letter
The employer’s choice of words in their job posting (as well as on their company’s website) can give you an idea of the company’s
culture as well as enable you to determine the appropriate tone to use for your cover letter. A more casual and relaxed posting
would allow you to be more creative with your cover letter, while a more formal or conservative tone requires a more traditional
style of writing.
Here are a few guidelines on tone and style:
• Use words from the job posting in your cover letter, as well as appropriate industry terminology you are familiar with.
• Focus on what you can do for an employer rather than what they can do for you.
• Emphasize your strengths, not your weaknesses, and avoid sounding overeager.
• Aim for paragraphs approximately five to seven sentences long.
• Keep your tone professional, but also engaging and friendly.
• Eliminate unnecessary words and avoid the excessive use of adjectives.
Cover Letter Toolkit6
Job Posting Information
Period Summer Internship
Position type:
Full Time
Start of work:
May 20XX
Length of work term: 4 months
Job title:
Structural Engineer Student Assistant
Job location: Port Coquitlam
Number of positions: 1
Overview of the position:
Our Engineering teams located in Port Coquitlam oer great opportunities for
students. Students are exposed to a wide range of tasks such as assisting with
testing, technical documentation, and design. You will have the opportunity
to work alongside a team of experienced mentors on exciting projects and
ground-breaking technologies as we continue to challenge the limits of the
amusement park industry.
This role will work closely with our project teams on our amusement ride
projects. The specific job duties vary depending on which project team you will
support, and more details will be clarified thr
oughout the interview process.
We are looking for senior-level undergraduate students in the Civil/Structural
engineering field who are available to begin employment in May 2018 for a
minimum period of 4 months.
Please submit a cover letter, resume and unocial transcript with your
application. Please include the following information in your cover letter:
• Current year of study
• Number of work terms completed
• Cumulative GPA
Job requirements:
Skills & Qualifications:
• Major in Structural/Civil Engineering with an interest in steel design;
• Strong fundamental mechanics principles;
• KKnowledgeable in steel design and load standards (CISC, AISC,
ASCE7, IBC, etc.);
• Experience with structural analysis programs;
• Excellent MS Excel skills. VBA knowledge is preferred;
• Experience with Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD;
• Strong technical writing and documentation abilities;
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written;
• Fluency in languages in addition to English is an asset.
Here is a sample job posting:
Job description:
Do you have these
skills? Can you
provide concrete
examples?
Are you looking for
a mentor? Does
ground-breaking
technologies excite
you?
Do you thrive in a
team environment?
This position will
require you to be
an accountable
team player.
Follow the
instructions given,
otherwise
the employer may
not consider your
application.
You know how to
automate tasks on
Excel and have done
it before at your last
summer job.
You can speak English,
French and Portuguese.
Previous professors
have commended
you for your technical
writing skills
Dissecting the Job Description
You use your free
time to learn more
about this subject
7Step 2
Match your qualifications to the requirements you’ve identified in the job posting.
Job requirements Related experience and skills
Interest in steel design • I read about steel design in my free time
• I watch online tutorials
• I research projects related to steel design, and I am particularly interested in
bridges
MS Excel and VBA knowledge • In my previous job, I developed a monthly sales report using Excel
• I executed the macro with a single command, causing Excel to automatically
perform many time-consuming procedures
AutoCAD • I have used SolidWorks in dierent school projects. My skills in SolidWorks can
be easily transferred to AutoCAD
Strong technical writing • I have experience writing reports at school and received positive feedback from
professors regarding my technical writing skills
Fluency in languages in addition to
English is an asset
• Fluent in English, French, and Portugese, both written and oral
When dissecting a job description, use the Skills Matching Worksheet to help you pinpoint your specific qualifications.
Cover Letter Toolkit8
Step 3
Find Your Hook
STEP 3
Introduction
Your introduction must capture the reader’s interest and motivate them to continue reading your application. However, you should
keep it simple. Statements like:
Your company’s tremendously noble environmental solutions create a better world for all who live in it, and I would love
nothing more than to contribute my skills and knowledge to this worthy and honourable project.
will sound over the top to many employers. Also avoid the urge to disclose your childhood dreams to become an engineer since
you were four years old, unless it directly relates to the company or the position you are applying for (perhaps your mom worked
for the company and you have good memories of it, or you grew up close to a construction site, or your took apart your family’s
toaster by the age of six and put it back together in no time), you are better o using these strategies:
• Leverage any personal contacts you may have within the company, but first, ask for their permission; or mention a
conversation you had with an employer during a networking event, and in this instance, you should address your cover
letter to the person you met.
• Mention any personal interactions you have had with the company; maybe you used their products, or you are living in a
building designed by them. Describe how these interactions have motivated you to apply for the job.
• Show that you have specific knowledge about and interest in the organization. You can impress an employer by
demonstrating that you have taken the time to research the company. What is the recent news about this employer or
their new projects?
• What caught your attention in the job posting? Do have specific skills the employer is looking for? You can mention it
in your introduction and provide an example on your second paragraph.
Sample Opening Paragraphs:
It was a pleasure to meet you last Thursday at UBC’s Career Fair and I am very excited about the possibility of joining your team as
Electrical Engineering Assistant. After speaking with you, I learned a great deal about your organization and was particularly
interested in the new automation project your company has recently launched. As a second year electrical engineering student, I am
interested in the automation field and have developed skills in instrumentation and technical writing. Furthermore, I would bring to this
position curiosity, the ability to learn quickly, and flexibility.
I am following my desire to advance in mining process engineering by pursuing a Master of Engineering in Mining at UBC. I am
extremely interested to work for Costa Coal in the
Mining Internship Program. My two years of experience working as a Mining
Engineer in an open pit mine makes me a strong candidate. If given the opportunity, I’ll bring to this position not only enthusiasm, but
knowledge of design methods, estimates and RFPs.
The main reason I decided to pursue civil engineering was to develop a career that could make a dierence in the community, and I see
no place better than the City of Vancouver to apply what I have learned to make a positive impact. As an environmentally conscious
individual, I have always had an interest in green infrastructure, and I am excited to see the City of Vancouver achieve the Greenest
City Action Plan in the coming years. My passion and enthusiasm for transportation engineering, as well as my knowledge of technical
design and GIS software, will ensure that I am committed to the Active Transportation Engineering Assistant II position with the City .
In addition, I have two years of experience in customer service which has prepared me to eectively communicate with the public.
9Step 2
Step 4
Provide Examples
STEP 4
Body Paragraphs
The body of your letter demonstrates how your skills, experience and personal attributes connect to the job requirements. It should
provide real and specific examples to support that you are a qualified candidate for the position. You may be familiar with the
START technique, it can help you create powerful and strong examples without missing any details of you story:
S - What was the situation? Set the scene and context.
T - What was the task? Your exact role(s).
A - What concrete action did you take? Use “I” and not “we” statements.
R - What was the result? What did you achieve, learn or gain from the experience?
T - What can be transferred? Skills you have gained how it will be transfered to the position.
You may also want to include some of the following information:
• Highlight relevant work, volunteer, laboratory, project, and extracurricular experiences by providing one or two carefully
chosen examples to demonstrate that you possess the necessary skills required for the position.
• If you don’t have work, volunteer or extracurricular experiences, focus on relevant skills you developed as a student,
through your courses; again, provide succinct and specific details so that you sound sincere and knowledgeable.
• Write about your research on the company and how your findings relate to you.
Sample Body Paragraphs:
Throughout my education, I have distinguished myself as a motivated, meticulous and hardworking student with consistent high grades.
Through my projects and courses, I have been able to hone my teamwork, communications skills and ability to produce professional
reports. I have completed all my reports ahead of time, and have always received a grade above 85%. Some highlights of my skills and
interests include:
• Strong knowledge base in chemistry
• Interest in learning more about environmental analytical chemistry
• Experience with laboratory techniques such as spectrophotometry, instrument calibration, and preparation of standards
In my previous job as a cook, quality control was very important to me. I ensured all beverages and dishes were served correctly
by following prescribed recipes and preparation techniques. Also, I performed equipment preventive maintenance, breakdown
troubleshooting, as well as maintained a safe and healthy work environment by following standards and sanitation regulations. I would
welcome the opportunity to bring to your Quality Control team, my previous experiences along with my strong knowledge of chemical
engineering and my ability to learn at a fast pace. It would be my goal to quickly understand your company’s quality control activities to
ensure high standards of quality are met and maintained.
During my last internship, I played a significant role in improving tools and components, gaining extensive experience with SolidWorks,
as well as design verification and validation. From concept through to prototype and full scale testing, I developed a safer tool to pressure
wash the core of an engine. I used GD&T techniques while making the technical drawings for this tool. I iteratively used the design
process and focused on design for fabrication and assembly techniques, while maintaining the reliability of the tool. I conducted three
incrementally complex tests before the tool could be used in full service and also obtained an internal certification for tool quality validation.
I am confident that this experience would allow me transition smoothly into a design environment and use SolidWorks proficiently.
Cover Letter Toolkit10
Step 5
Bring It All Together
STEP 5
Closing
The closing should include information about how the employer can contact you to arrange an interview - generally, you should
include your phone number and email address.
Add an appreciative statement to the employer for taking the time to read your application, or a message of goodwill or positive
regard for the company. Also, include a call to action inviting the employer to follow-up and if necessary, include your ability to
relocate and travel, and mention any family connections in the area of relocation.
Sample closing paragraphs:
My experience in AutoCAD and data analysis will allow me to meaningfully contribute to ABC Engineering, quickly integrate with the
team, and adapt to new technologies. I am enthusiastic about this opportunity and look forward to discussing it further with you soon.
To arrange for an interview, you can reach me at 604.123.4567 or [email protected]. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
I also want to congratulate Arbutus’ new project to make the ABC Stadium in Nanaimo, BC a reality. I am interested in learning
more about its design and contribute my estimating skills to the construction management team. Additionally, I’ve previously lived in
Nanaimo and would embrace the opportunity to return. To arrange for an interview, you can reach me at 604.123.4567 or
[email protected]. Thank you for your time.
11Step 3
Step 6
Edit, Edit and Edit
STEP 6
Proofreading and Editing
Carefully proofread your cover letter and, as much as possible, have someone else read your letter and oer comments. Some
employers will reject applications outright for errors, especially when claims about strong communication skills are followed by
spelling or grammatical mistakes.
Get your cover letter flawless
• Ask a friend or two to proofread for you. A second set of eyes is necessary to catch things that you may not have noticed
as the writer.
• Add Grammarly to your MS Word.
Need additional support with your writing?
The UBC Writing Centre oers drop-in appointments to help with any writing project you’re working on. Students in the Okanagan
can book an appointment with The Writing and Research Centre.
It is important to know that people will have dierent opinions about your cover letter, and this is normal. However, you should
own your writing and feel comfortable with the cover letter you have written, as this document will showcase your personality to
employers. Writing cover letters is like learning any other skill, the more you practice the better you will become.
