The Beauty & Blueprint of a Cover Letter

by Leslie Hom

I have the pleasure of guiding students through the challenging and exciting process of preparing job application materials for their first legal positions. I often see them laboring over their resumes but not their cover letters. Why?

“Cover letters are hard.” “Employers do not read them.” “I do not know why I want to work for this employer. I just need a job.”

These are some of the responses I hear from law school students about their cover letters. This is when I unveil the beauty of the cover letter.

Writing a cover letter requires that you clarify what you want and what you bring to the table. This is an important process that takes time and thought. Great cover letters answer two questions: why do you want to work for this employer and why should this employer hire you. In that process, you get a chance to ground yourself in what is important to you about your work. This is invaluable to you in finding a place that fits and work that is meaningful.

Cover letters and resumes have different purposes. Resumes are about presenting a record of current and past accomplishments. A cover letter forecasts the future based on your past experiences. You can identify broader career themes in a cover letter, including one’s career objectives and a summary of skills that would not be used in a legal resume.

The other reason to ace the cover letter is that employers do read them. They can make the difference between you and another candidate. And in this competitive market, why leave it to chance when you can send a spot-on letter to your target employer?

Here’s the simple and effective cover letter blueprint:

Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself.
Paragraph 2: Answer the question: Why do you want to work there?
Paragraph 3: Answer the question: Why should they hire you?
Paragraph 4: Wrap up. Thank them for their attention.

Tip: Read your letters aloud before sending.

Related Link: Cover Letter Handout