Cover letters

When applying for an internship or job, you may be wondering if you need a cover letter. The answer is “Yes!” whenever it’s requested or optional. Cover letters are a very important part of “getting in the door”. In many instances, it’s how you make your first impression and show your interest in the position/company.

If a position asks for a personal statement, philosophy statement, or diversity statement along with your application materials review our personal statement resources.

Below are resources explaining what a cover letter is and how to write one effectively.

How to write a cover letter

Writing a cover letter takes practice, but it gets easier once you have a first draft to build from. If you are just getting started or want to improve your letter, we recommend reviewing our cover letter resources guide. It walks you through each step of the process and offers tips to help you create a strong, effective cover letter. Below, we have different types of cover letters to take a look at.

Different types of cover letters

Remember with cover letters there is no “one size fits all” as every letter should be tailored towards the employer and the position. The following samples are suggestions of how a cover letter can be formatted: