The Secret to the Perfect Cover Letter

Whenever someone asks me to provide them with a sample cover letter that they can use as a template for their own cover letter, my answer is quite simple - NO. I know that it doesn't sound like a very friendly gesture from me, but believe me - examples and templates are not going to help whoever it is you are trying to help at all.

Types of cover letters and examples for each type

Main differences between e-mail and hard copy correspondence:

Format: your signature block (address, etc.) goes below your name in e-mail, while it goes at the top of the page on hard copy.

E-mail requires a subject line logical to the recipient. E-mail subject lines can make or break whether your e-mail is opened and read. Hard copy can have a subject line too, but it's on the letter (after recipient's address block and before "Dear...," and it's seen after the letter is opened.

Signature: Of course you won't have a handwritten signature on e-mail, but don't forget this on hard copy.

All cover letters should: