Comprehensive Guide for Cover Letters, References, and Job Applications

COVER LETTER AND REFERENCES

This is a basic presentation designed to give students a starting point for creating their

cover letters and list of references.

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Cover Letter.

.

•

Consists of three paragraphs.

1.

Why you are writing… How you heard about the job.

2.

What you have to offer this company… What makes you a good fit

for the position.

3.

When you will follow up.

•

Address to an individual (if possible).

•

Include job title and reference number.

•

Do not request that an employer call you.

•

Demonstrate company knowledge.

Cover Letter Example.

Link: Narration Transcript

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Susan S. Success

123 Victory Lane

Hampton, VA 11111

(123) 465-7890

susansuccess@gmail.com

January 1, 2016

Mr. John Doe

Automation Manager

Wilcox Company

Hampton, VA 11111

Dear Mr. Doe,

First Paragraph: Introduce yourself, why are you writing, name of position, type of work you seek.

Second Paragraph: Relevant skills; Why do you want to work for this employer? How will you benefit this

employer?

Third Paragraph: Closing, Thank you, Contact information.

Sincerely,

Signature  Susan S. Success

Susan S. Success

References.

Link: Narration Transcript

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Minimum of Three References: One Personal and Two Professional.

No Family Members.

Name.

Job Title.

Employer.

Address.

Relationship.

Number of Years Known.

Phone.

E-mail.

Example of a Partial Reference Page.

Link: Narration Transcript

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JAMES DOE

1234 Alphabet Drive

Norfolk, VA 23455

(757) 555-1234

doej@gmail.com

REFERENCES

:

Michelle Johnson

Team Member

Papa John’s Pizza

7359 Granby Street

Norfolk, VA 12345

(757) 444-4444

johnsonm@cox.net

Former Co-worker

James Kenney

Personal Friend

Captain USN (Ret)

2 Circle Street

Denver, Colorado 09876

(757) 999-9999

jkenney24@aol.com

Known for 5 years

For detailed information or to receive sample

reference lists or sample cover letters, please contact

Ms. Bullock.

Ms. Bullock

757-825-3584

bullockm@tncc.edu

Acknowledgements.

This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s

Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not

necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of

Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect

to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to,

accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued

availability, or ownership.

Although the authoring institution of this educational resource has made every effort to ensure that

the information presented is correct, the institution assumes no liability to any party for any loss,

damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions.

Except where otherwise noted, this work by Thomas Nelson Community College is licensed under

the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, click on

the following link: 

Creative Commons License 4.0.

Cover Letter Narration.

A cover letter is a one-page document which consists of three paragraphs: the introduction paragraph,

which indicates the job you are applying for, the second paragraph which highlights your current skills

and abilities, and the third paragraph—your closing. End of narration. 

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Cover Letter Example Narration.

In this cover letter, you will notice that the individual has decided to include their personal heading at the top of the page.

This information can also be included in the third paragraph or it can be added at the bottom of the cover letter underneath

the signature. When writing a cover letter, when at all possible, please address it to a specific individual. This information can

be obtained by contacting the Human Resources Department of the employer in which you are applying with. If you cannot

obtain a specific name or contact information, it is acceptable to address the letter to a hiring manager or to the Human

Resources manager. In the first paragraph of the cover letter, introduce yourself by stating your name. Include why you are

applying. Indicate if you saw a specific job vacancy announcement or are you writing to inquire if this particular company has

any current job openings. If you are referring to a specific job that you found on the company’s Web site, it is helpful to

include the job reference number; however, if you found a job on a third-party site, such as the Virginia Employment

Commission, Indeed, Monster, Snag a Job, or one of the many multiple employment sites, you may include that information

also. In your second paragraph, you can write it in a traditional sentence format or you may utilize bullets and write

accomplishment statements. Please note: Your cover letter should not be a repeat of your resume. Think of it this way: You

resume tells an employer what schools you went to, past tense, what jobs you had, past tense. Your cover letter should let

the employer know what current skills and abilities you have to date. Why should they hire you. It can even include skills that

you had that did not come from a paying job. Your third paragraph will be your closing and thank you. You can include your

contact information here. You can ask for the interview, or even notify the employer when you intend to follow up on your

application materials. Finally, you have your salutation. And if you decide to leave your contact information here, it is

appropriate as well. End of narration. 

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References Narration.

References. No longer do we put the phrase at the bottom of the resume, which says “references available upon request.”

Current practices include simply for having a list of references, which is a separate sheet of paper. This list should include a

minimum of three references. You should have one personal reference and two professional references. Your personal

reference should be a friend. No family members whatsoever. Your professional references can be former employers, co-

workers, professors, clergy, or someone from a professional organization that you are a member of. Or, if you have done

volunteer services, a coordinator for that. The information listed here are some things for you to consider when creating a

reference sheet. It is imperative that you include an accurate phone number and e-mail address. If you do not have both a

phone number and e-mail address for your reference, contact your reference to obtain this information. It is a good idea for

you to contact individuals before listing them on your reference sheet to make sure that they are okay with it. Also, this gives

you the opportunity to notify them of the job you have applied for. Many individuals do not answer their phone if it’s a

number that they are not familiar with. End of narration.  

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Example of a Partial Reference Page Narration.

On this sample partial reference page, the individual has their personal heading at the top of the page.

This heading should be the exact same as listed on the resume and on the cover letter if it was placed

there. You’ll notice they have a professional reference on this page and a personal reference. If you do

not know the complete physical address, you can list the city and state of their employment or of their

home address. End of narration. 

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