cover letter template uga

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Cover Letters/Letters of Interest

Cover letters or letters of interest are the letters that accompany a job application, either in response to a job listing or inquiring about the possibility of unadvertised work.  They provide a bridge between your resume and the specific employer.  Don't overlook the importance of this valuable part of the job application.

General considerations

CDO counselors are always happy to review drafts of your letters. 

When applying to jobs through LawDawgDash , you are not required to upload a cover letter unless the employer requests one.  However, you may want to submit one if there is key information that may be crucial to their hiring decision (e.g., your geographic tie to their community) that is not already reflected in your resume.

Formatting tips

Cover letters and letters of interest almost always follow the same substantive structure:

• Paragraph 1:  Explain who you are and why you are writing.
• Paragraph 2:  Connect your skills and interests to the employer.  Draw from your resume, but do not regurgitate all of the information.  Be selective and concise.  Use brief, concrete examples.  Illustrate why you will be valuable to them.  Highlight your work experience, law school activities, volunteer experience, etc.
• Paragraph 3:  Conclude.  Identify any attachments to your letter, if not already done.  Indicate what the next step will be.  For example, let them know when you plan to be in their area, or if you will follow up or be available for an interview.  Thank them for their consideration of your application or request.

See the basic format with annotations .

• Keep the letter to one page, if at all possible.
• Keep your writing simple.  Avoid run-on sentences and passive voice.
• Avoid cliches, flowery adjectives, and colloquialisms.
• Show a real interest in the employer.  Don't just recycle their website.

Sample letters

• Job Posting/ No Contact Name
• Seeking Career Advice
• Summer Judicial Internship
• Unsolicited Application

Contacting an employer by email

Do not simply cut and paste your cover letter into the body of an email when contacting a prospective employer.  Instead, use a shorter, more direct message ( see sample email ).  Make sure to attach your resume and any other application documents in PDF format to avoid any formatting changes between computer programs.

Public interest cover letters

See the Public Interest Career Guide for excellent cover letter examples for public interest opportunities.

Career Center

Office of undergraduate education  ·  graduate & postdoctoral education, resumes, cover letters, & portfolios.

Now that you’ve found a great job opportunity, it’s time to apply. See the sections below to ensure that you are representing your skills and qualifications in a way that gives you the best chance of landing an interview.   Or take a look at our Cover Letter or Resume Career Guides by clicking on the images below.

Resume Templates and Samples

Below you will find a collection of sample resumes pulled from all Georgia Tech colleges. You can download these to use as templates by clicking the titles below. (Some information may have been changed to protect student/alum identities.)

• First-Year Resume Template
• General Resume Template
• Computer Science
• Architecture and UI/UX
• Architecture
• Industrial Engineering
• Biochemistry
• Applied Languages & Intercultural Studies
• Computational Media
• Economics (Consulting)
• Economics and International Affairs
• Global Economics and Modern Languages
• History, Technology, and Society
• International Affairs
• International Affairs and Modern Languages
• Literature, Media, and Communications
• Public Policy

Cover Letter Outline and Samples

A cover letter should briefly introduce you to an employer, give context for how you found the job, and highlight a few of your skills and experiences that make you a competitive candidate. It is a highlight reel and meant to augment your resume – it should be brief, but informative, not just repeating your resume. It’s helpful to explain your interest in the field of work and specific company, so they understand WHY you will be a good fit for their job. Be sure to customize your cover letter for each job you apply to, referring to the job description as a guide for what content to include.

See below for specific resources.

Cover Letter Outline

Sample Cover Letters:

• Co-op Cover Letter
• Internship Cover Letter
• Full-time Cover Letter
• MS (Sciences) Cover Letter
• MS (Architecture) Cover Letter

Applicant Tracking Systems

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by many companies to manage the flow of candidates in their recruiting pipelines. Just because a company uses an ATS doesn’t mean that your resume is only being reviewed by AI and keyword filters. There are many functions to make the recruiter’s job easier, from job posting to communications and scheduling interviews. However, the ATS can also streamline candidate identification and evaluation through several possible functions:

• Keyword search: Possibly the most talked-about, an ATS can compare your resume to certain keywords identified by the company and filter or rank resumes based on the degree of match. TIP : use a site like Jobscan (free trial), skillsyncer (free), or Resume Pilots (free) to compare your resume to the job description. Make sure you use the exact keywords the job description uses to describe your skills.
• Knock-out Questions : You may be asked a series of questions as part of completing a company’s application. These could be knock-out questions, the answers to which will lead to your resume being flagged to move forward or rejected from the process.
• Filtering: Some ATSs enable recruiters to filter applicants by many different attributes – how you found the job, whether you are a referral, your geographic location, etc.
• Social Media Sourcing : Some companies will utilize an ATS that has a social media function, allowing them to source candidates by conducting keyword searches across candidate profiles on LinkedIn (or other platforms).

To best facilitate and work WITH an ATS, it’s best to have a format-friendly version of your resume to use when uploading to a company’s website. Jobscan.co recommends that resumes submitted to an ATS:

• Are tailored specifically to the job, including keywords from the job description. TIP – you may want to include both the spelled-out and abbreviated versions of notable terms.
• Stick to descriptive and simple section titles and chronological order within each section so as not to confuse the software.

TIP: More is not always better! Do not overdo it by forcing every keyword from a description into your resume. These filters are only the first of multiple steps in most cases, so it still needs to make sense and be easy to digest by future readers.

Portfolios are an excellent way to demonstrate your experience and capabilities to employers. Depending on your industry of interest, there may be nuances and preferred content that should be included. Be sure to connect with faculty and Georgia Tech alumni and professionals working in your field(s) of interest to understand current trends and the content needed.

Here are a few tools you can use to create an online portfolio:

The Career Center recommends all Georgia Tech students join LinkedIn . You can upload examples of your work, receive recommendations, endorsements of your skill sets, and show your past work experience. It is frequently used by Fortune 500 employers to source passive talent, so be sure to keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date over time.

Here is a helpful article from Wix.com breaking down common online portfolio content.

The Corsair Society

Our Purpose

The Corsair Society is a student-led organization with the purpose of (a) providing a support network for the University of Georgia’s top undergraduate students interested in exploring career opportunities in business, (b) facilitating productive discussion between University graduates involved in related fields, and (c) supporting the academic mission of the University by fostering a collaborative environment promoting the advancement of the Society’s members and the University as a whole.

The Corsair Society is a collaboration between the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and the University of Georgia’s Morehead Honors College.

Prospective Members

Please see the following recommended materials to help prepare for interviews. This is not an extensive list but rather a great foundation for your studying.

Additional reputable sources for learning:

• Mergers and Inquisitions Articles
• Corporate Finance Institute
• Investopedia
• Aswath Damodaran YouTube Series and articles on valuation
• Mergers & Inquisitions YouTube Series and 400 Question Guide

Once inducted, Corsair assists members in enhancing their knowledge, skills, and network through:

• Hosting events such as information sessions, dinners, and on-campus interviews with top global firms
• Facilitating industry networking with Corsair and UGA alumni
• Quantitative training in areas of accounting, valuation, capital markets, case preparation and business analytics
• Qualitative training in areas of professional etiquette, networking and interview skills
• Assignment of senior mentors to oversee networking efforts

• Director of Undergraduate Student Services , Undergraduate Student Services

• Lecturer , Department of Finance

• Undergraduate Students
• Masters Students
• PhD/Doctoral Students
• Postdoctoral Scholars
• Faculty & Staff
• Families & Supporters
• Prospective Students
• Explore Your Interests / Self-Assessment
• Build your Network / LinkedIn
• Search for a Job / Internship
• Create a Resume / Cover Letter
• Prepare for an Interview
• Negotiate an Offer
• Prepare for Graduate School
• Find Funding Opportunities
• Prepare for the Academic Job Market
• Search for a Job or Internship
• Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Arts & Entertainment
• Consulting & Financial Services
• Engineering & Technology
• Government, Law & Policy
• Hospitality
• Management & Human Resources
• Non-Profit, Social Justice & Education
• Retail & Consumer Services
• BIPOC Students & Scholars
• Current & Former Foster Youth
• Disabled Students & Scholars
• First-Generation Students & Scholars
• Formerly Incarcerated Students & Scholars
• International Students & Scholars
• LGBTQ+ Students & Scholars
• Students & Scholars with Dependents
• Transfer Students
• Undocumented Students & Scholars
• Women-Identifying Students & Scholars

Cover Letter Template

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View this cover letter with annotations and tips to help structure and write your next cover letter.

Résumé Examples

The résumés that follow offer examples according to  degree or discipline , and demonstrate layouts to best represent your  individual strengths .

All examples are Microsoft Word documents.

Degree / Discipline

School of business.

• International business
• Management information systems
• Supply chain management

School of Education

School of health sciences.

• Patient navigation
• Public health

School of Liberal Arts

• Cinema and media arts production
• Criminal justice / criminology
• Human development and aging services
• Political science

School of Science and Technology

• Environmental science
• Exercise science
• Information technology
• Mathematics

Layouts for Individual Strengths

• Experienced
• Self employment 1
• Self employment 2
• Service learning