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Hello, Purdue Global Students -

We encourage students to highlight your skills in cover letters, as they speak directly to what

employers are seeking across virtually every industry and job function. So that is why, as part of

your Cover Letter assignment, we urge you to begin utilizing your Skills Report as a tool to

illustrate your skills, abilities and experience as it relates to the position of interest.

Directions to follow:

● Navigate to your Skills Report ○ Log on to PG Campus ○ Select "My Studies" ○ Click "Skills Report" ○ For additional information, please select "Learn About..." on the right hand side

of your Skills Report.

After you have viewed your skills report, take note and begin to add the following to your

Cover Letter:

1. Skills - The thicker the “leaf”, the stronger your performance in that skill area (please include your strongest performing skills in your Cover Letter).

○ The graph changes over time as your instructors input more and more data about your performance against learning outcomes in each course you

complete.

2. Leadership & Engagement Section ○ Your Cover Letter (& Resume) should contain school engagement, as employers

seek candidates who were involved and led student clubs, honor societies and

associations!

In addition to the skills report, we also wanted to share with you our Cover Letter Guide to

assist you in the creation of this document.

Thanks and we look forward to reviewing your Cover Letter!

Sincerely -

- Purdue Global Career Services Department

CAREER SERVICES COVER LETTER GUIDE Give the employer a snapshot of who you are by introducing yourself in a cover letter. Take the opportunity to market your skills, abilities, qualifications, and work experience. Each resume you submit to a job should be accompanied by a cover letter in relation to the posted job. Do not use a form cover letter. Keep in mind, your job search is about the quality of the search rather than the quantity. So, it is advisable to focus your search around jobs you are qualified for. Below are several cover letter tips to assist you:

• Use a minimum font size of 10 points (maximum of 12) and – Third Paragraph one inch margins. Thank the employer for consideration and state

availability for an interview and best means of contact. • Begin the cover letter with the same header you use on your Indicate how you will follow up.

resume to keep your documents consistent. Make sure to – Closing follow the header with the date you are drafting the letter

Close the letter with “Respectfully yours,” “Sincerely,” or and follow with employer or hiring manager name, title, and “Best regards.” Include “Enclosure: resume” after your company name (address is optional); skip one line and add name if you are sending your resume by mail. the salutation.

• Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms. Use spell check. • Avoid using the salutation “Dear Sir or Madam” or Proofread the document, even reading it out loud, and have “To Whom It May Concern,” if possible, by addressing a others proofread for you. specific person. If you do not have this information,

call and ask for the name and title of the hiring manager. • Follow up on any cover letter and resume you send. Make sure the name and title are spelled correctly. As a It is an essential part of the process. last resort, use “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear Human Resources Manager.”

• Aim to capture the hiring manager’s attention, but make sure to keep your cover letter brief and concise. Ideally, your cover letter should be one page with three targeted paragraphs on why you are a direct fit for the job.

– First Paragraph State your purpose for contacting the employer; mention the position you are applying for and where or how you learned about the position or employer.

– Second Paragraph State approximately three skills mentioned in the job description that qualify you for the position (be sure to mention those applicable skills on your resume as well). Demonstrate how you meet the company’s needs.

For comprehensive consumer information, visit Info.PurdueGlobal.edu. Purdue Global cannot guarantee employment or career advancement.

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