• Cover Letters or Application Letters should be included with every resume you send via email or mail. They should also be used when dropping off a resume at an organization. The purpose of this letter is to get your resume read and to generate interviews.
• Prospecting Letters are used to prospect for a possible vacancy, typically for long-distance searches. When using this letter, it is important to target specific individuals within the organization. Structured much like an application letter, the letter focuses on broader occupational dimensions to describe your qualifications.
• Thank You Letters should be sent after each interview and to each person who helps you in any way regarding your job search. It is used to establish goodwill, express appreciation, and strengthen your candidacy. Thank you letters should be sent within 24 hours of an interview.
• Acceptance Letters follow a job offer and are used to accept the job, confirm terms of employment, and to positively reinforce the employer’s decision to hire you.

• Design your letters to be work-centered and employer-centered, not self-centered. Your letters are marketing tools that should address the needs of employers and evoke a desire to learn more about you.
• Do all of your letter writing yourself, and take responsibility for following up with employers.
• Always address your letters to a specific individual with his or her correct title and business address.
• Use high-quality stationary and envelopes.
• Keep the letter to one page. Try to avoid repeating material from your resume.
• Be sure your letter is error free.
• Tailor your letters for each situation. Generic letters are ineffective.
• Show appreciation to the employer for considering your application, for granting you an interview, etc.
• Always keep your reader in mind. Make your letters easy to read.
• Be honest. Always be able to back up your claims with evidence and specific examples from your experience in an interview.

Winning Cover Letters: Top Ten Reasons Why You Need a Cover Letter