BA 2196 Writing Assignment: Cover Letter

75 points (7.5% of your overall grade); due: Th, Feb. 15

Your Task

Using the job ad you picked for your Value Proposition Paragraph, you now must write a strong, focused, formal, and professional cover letter. This letter must:

· Clearly target the job ad (i.e., emphasize the strengths, accomplishments, and qualifications noted in the job ad).

· Use specific accomplishments and achievements to make yourself stand out and demonstrate why you would be the best fit for the position.

Cover Letter Structure: Thesis + Topic Sentence(s) + Unified Paragraphs

Remember, in BA2196, all of your writing must have structure. For the cover letter:

· You must organize information with a “thesis.” Thus, your first paragraph should end with a thesis-type sentence, asserting the one or two experiences you will highlight and prove with specific evidence in your letter.

· Each body paragraph will begin with a topic sentence.

· All paragraphs must be unified: they must stay ONLY on the topic asserted in the topic sentence – NO TOPIC DRIFT.

Format

· Your letter must be limited to one page, so make every sentence count.

· Your letter is a professional letter of application; any typos, misspellings, punctuation problems, or grammar errors will lower your grade. This letter should be revised, edited, and proofread before you turn it in.

· Your cover letter must demonstrate why you would be a good fit for the position. It should not be written to say why the position would be a good fit for you.

· Your letter must be formatted as a business letter. See the information on proper cover letter format on the next page. Do NOT NEGLECT THE CORRECT FORMAT— YOU WILL LOSE UP TO 25 POINTS FOR INCORRECT FORMATTING. Note that because letters are single spaced, you should add a space between each paragraph, which means you then do not need to indent each paragraph.

Please upload or email to me a copy of the job ad.

Your Name

Your Street Address

Your City, State, & Zip

Your Phone Number

Your Email Address

Date

Contact Name and/or Title

Company Name

Company Street Address

Company City, State, & Zip

Dear XXXXX,

Introduction should start by explaining how you heard about the position. You can also establish your status as a Fox student, including your major and year. The intro should end with a thesis statement that asserts your experience/fitness for the job.

Internal paragraph. All internal paragraphs should open with a topic sentence, include specific evidence to prove the claim, and close with a “so what?” statement that explains why you and/or your skill can benefit the employer.

Internal paragraph. All internal paragraphs should open with a topic sentence, include specific evidence to prove the claim, and close with a “so what?” statement that explains why you and/or your skill can benefit the employer.

Closing should reiterate your fitness for the position, state that your resume is enclosed, kindly ask to be contacted, and thank the reader.

Sincerely,

Your Name