Written by Hadassah Lopes ’27, Peer Career Coach
1. Get to know your potential employer
More often than not, we receive more rejections than acceptances when applying to jobs or internships. This creates a desire to apply to as many positions as possible. However, employers don’t want to be just another job application of your list, they way to know their organization and position means something to you.
So… learn about:
a. Their mission statement. What is their goal and how does that align with your goals and interests?
b. Their target clients/audiences. What insight could you have on the clients/audiences they’re looking for?
2. Think of 1-2 relevant experiences
Even though you may not have much work experience under your belt as an undergraduate student, companies like to know what skills you have and how you have learned to apply them. Consider academic projects or even small jobs you have held that required leadership skills, communication skills, and any other skills emphasized in the job application. Be sure to use the key terms that are present in their ideal candidate description.
3. Emphasize interest and gratitude
Both in your introductory paragraph and in your concluding paragraph, it is important to state your interest in the position and to express your gratitude for their time spent reviewing your application. Reflect on what the job means to you and the purpose for your application. This tells the employer that their time is valuable to you and you appreciate them using their time to consider your application.
Additional Resources:
- Check out → Villanova’s Cover Letter Template
- Make an appointment with a Peer Career Coach (PCC)
- Steps:
- Navigate to the Career Center tab on Handshake
- Click on ‘Appointments’
- Select CLAS: Professional Development Appointments.”
- Select an appointment type: CLAS Peer Career Coaching Session (30 or 60 minutes).
- Steps:
PCCs can be guides in cover letter writing by helping you decide which work experiences to highlight, by reading and reviewing drafts, and any additional cover letter related assistance!
