If you are like me, you find it easier to do a job when you can see the finished product. So I’m providing an example of a cover letter and an explanation of why it will get results.

1029 Bay Street Littleton, PA 15260 May 16, 2011

Kevin Smith Vice President, Finance Best Banking Service Company Coraopolis, PA 15108

Dear Mr. Smith:

While working for Another Bank as a financial analyst, I led a productivity initiative that automated some of our reporting processes and saves us $50,000 annually.

I am writing to apply for the position of Financial Analyst which I heard about from Stacey Brown, Vice President of Marketing at Best Banking. In the year I’ve worked for Another Bank, I have led our forecast development efforts and have so far my projections have been within 1% of actual results. In addition, I have also created a new format for reporting monthly performance to executive management that provides more usable operational information.

I am very excited about the opportunity to use my skills and experience to help Best Banking Service Company achieve its goal of becoming the market leader in western Pennsylvania. My resume is enclosed for your review. If you have any questions or would like further information, I can be reached at (my email address) or 412-345-6789. I look forward to meeting with you in the near future for an interview.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Sheehan

Why is this example of cover letter a good letter? Because the writer is keeping in mind the purpose of the cover letter. The reason you write a cover letter is not to some busy work. The goal of your cover letter is to catch the interest of the person reading it, and get them to call you for an interview. If you don’t use your cover letter to do these things, then your letter and resume have a good chance of winding up in the throw away pile.

This person followed a few simple rules. First, started her letter with some accomplishment that relates to the job she’s applying for. She’s showing them that she knows how to get results. In the second paragraph of this example of a cover letter, the writer gave examples of two other accomplishments that relate to the position she’s trying to get. This is a much better approach than saying “I worked as a financial analyst for one year for Another Bank.”

In the third paragraph of our example of a cover letter, the writer gave a specific reason why she wants to work for the company. This tells the reader of the letter a few things. One, she was willing to do a little research beyond what was in the job posting, so she will most likely be a hard worker. Two, she is interested in the actual job and isn’t just looking for a paycheck.

Our example of a cover letter also shows some small details that go a long way to getting noticed. The letter is addressed to a person, most likely the person who will make the hiring decision. If at all possible, find out this person’s name and send your cover letter to them. She also mentioned that she heard about the job from a specific person who works at the company. This kind of personal connection can be very helpful in getting interviews. So do some networking, and mention where you got your leads from in your cover letters, if you think they will carry any weight.

And did you notice the words in bold? Those are phrases used in the job posting. The writer of our example of a cover letter isn’t leaving anything to chance. The person she sent the letter to might read it, or he might just pass it on to Human Resources to do the initial screening. These people might not know anything about the job. What they probably have is a list of keywords to look for. So putting them in bold in your letter makes their job easier, and helps you. If the HR people don’t see in your cover letter the keywords they are looking for, guess who won’t get called for an interview.

So now you should have a better idea of how to write a cover letter. Use what you learned by reviewing the example of a cover letter discussed in this article, and stay focused on the goal: to get job interviews.