University of Virginia

 Cover Letter Writing 

Cover Letter Writing

A cover letter is a vital tool in marketing yourself to prospective employers:

  • An effective cover letter will draw attention to your qualifications and experiences that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying.
  • Employers often use letters to assess the written communication skills that you will need for any position.
  • A letter provides you the opportunity to convey to a potential employer your interest, enthusiasm, and other personal attributes that are not easily expressed in a resume alone.

The cover letters you write can play important roles in helping you to gain interviews through on-Grounds interviewing and your own off-Grounds search. For these reasons, it is important that you prepare your written job search correspondence with as much care as you used when constructing your resume.

For help in creating your cover letter, please use the “Job Search Letters” handout.

We suggest having your cover letter reviewed by a career counselor and/or employer. You can:

  • Come to CCS during walk-in hours
  • Make an appointment with a career counselor by stopping in or calling the CCS front desk
  • Attend employer resume reviews through the Employer-in-Residence Program and ask if the employer would be willing to critique your cover letter

Office and Walk-In Hours

Commerce Career Services is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Stop by Rouss Hall, Suite 407, or call 434-924-7986 to schedule an appointment with the staff for individual advising or in-depth resume assistance.

During walk-in hours, students may come in for 15-minute appointments designed for quick questions and/or resume reviews. They are held Mondays and Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.