A resume alone is not always enough to convince an employer to invite a candidate to an interview.  If indeed the goal of  job seekers is to link their past achievements, areas of knowledge, and specific skills with the future needs of an employer and create for a reader a sense of benefit to the employer in the process, then why trust the perceptiveness of the employer to draw such conclusions solely on the basis of a resume when a well-constructed cover letter can help the reader see the benefits more clearly?  Compared to experienced professionals, college students frequently face the unique challenge of convincing employers of the transferability of their skills and experiences from seemingly unrelated situations to new settings.  Despite the fact that once they begin to acquire field-specific experiences, students may find that employers may legitimately rely more on a resume, a cover letter shold still accompany a resume whenever and however it may be transmitted, i.e. mail, email, fax or personal delivery.

When should students develop cover letter writing skills?

Since their pursuits of career enhancing experience may commence as early as their first year at Syracuse, students should start building these skills at the same time that they begin to build a resume.  Since letters should be individually formulated in most cases, the earlier students engage in the analysis of career opportunities and the crafting of persuasive letters accordingly, the more benefits they are likely to derive, especially in highly competitve situations where their peers may desire the invitation to interview just as strongly.

Where is help available?

Students should connect with both the career services offices in their home colleges, and with the Center for Career Services, for print and/or online guidance on cover letter writing. Career-specific materials from the college offices are complemented by guidance and examples available in The Career Guide and Job Choices, publications distributed by the Center for Career Services, and by general guidelines and examples found on the Center's web site.

Critiquing services, i.e. chances for students to sit with a career advisor and go over a resume draft, are available at the Center (235 Schine) Tuesday and Friday from 12 to 2:30 pm, Monday and Thursday from 2 to 4:30 pm, and Wednesday from 3 to 5:30 pm, on a drop-in/no appointment necessary basis, and may be available on other bases in the college-based offices.