Using Email Cover Letters Effectively

Using Email Cover Letters Effectively

By the student editors of SCORING A GREAT INTERNSHIP, a Students Helping Students™ guide.

Email applications have made it incredibly easy to apply to as many as companies as you'd like; often it takes nothing more than writing a "cover email" and adding your resume as an attachment. But be careful when composing an email cover letter-by being too informal and not using an appropriate format, you risk offending the reader and presenting yourself as overly casual and sloppy. For more detailed information on how to write effective cover letters, compose a killer resume, get the most out of informational interviews, find the right internship, and other helpful suggestions from students who've been through the internship experience, check out SCORING A GREAT INTERNSHIP, available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0971939284/adguidescolleger.

Emails obviously appear less formal than actual letters, but that doesn't mean you can refer to the company's president by her first name or make grammatical or spelling mistakes. If you write an email cover letter, it should look exactly like your paper one in terms of format. You should continue to address the recipients of your emails using "Mr. /Ms." until they either explicitly state that it's okay to use their first name or until they sign their emails using only their first name.

One way to avoid falling into the trap of informality is to attach your cover letter to the email along with your resume and any other required materials. You should format and compose the attached cover letter exactly as you would a paper cover letter. The body of your email can simply note the fact that you've attached a cover letter along with your resume. Keep it brief and format it as a formal paper letter. This email will be the first thing your potential employer sees, and you don't want to ruin your chances of being interviewed or seriously considered for the internship by coming off as unprofessional.

And avoid sending emails from a silly-sounding email address (you know what we mean)-it looks immature and, worse, it might be mistaken for spam and get deleted. Always include "Application for XYZ Internship" in the subject line of your email.

Here's an example of what not to do with your email cover letter. It's appropriate for a note to a friend, but hardly as a formal inquiry to be sent in place of the cover letter we used as an example earlier.

Nick-

I saw the summer internship listed on Shakespeare's website, and I think I would make a great candidate. Here's my resume and I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks-

Chris

Instead, an email cover should look something like this:

Dear Mr. Anderson:

I am writing in regard to the summer internship advertised on Shakespeare Publishing's website. I have attached both my cover letter and resume for your review.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Chris Stephens