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For co-op applications specifically, the cover letter is optional , unless noted otherwise, so you may want to focus on writing cover letters for the positions that are most important to you.

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• Length – typically 1 page but in some cases longer is permitted (refer to application instructions, if they exist, to guide your decision)

• Typically 3+ paragraphs

• Layout - ½ inch to 1-inch margins

• Font - 10 to 12 size font (match your résumé font style and size)

• Header- You may include the same header as your résumé , since it’s expected that the résumé and cover letter are submitted together

• Date - Common to include the date

• Position title – Include the position number as well if there is one in the job ad

• Contact information: Include the employer’s contact information

• Address the cover letter to “Dear Hiring Manager”Manager,” “Dear Hiring Committee” Committee,” or “Dear Recruiter” if you do not know their name. It’s more personal to address the letter to a specific person, so if you know or are able to can research and find out with certainty the hiring manager’s full name, include it (first and last names). Avoid using gendered titles such as “Mr” or “Mrs” unless the job ad specifically includes those titles.

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• Sign off with an e-signature or typed signature

• Write in the first person (‘I’‘I,’ ‘me’) and use complete sentences (for impact, key points can be included in a bulleted list)

A cover letter template is available if you are seeking seek an example of what the document can look like.

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There are many ways people use to map out an outline of their cover letter. Below is an approach that uses a table. Another option might be to use different coloured highlighters to categorize important pieces of information from the job posting. Feel free to move the text in the job posting around so that information is grouped by skill or theme in a way that makes sense to you. (If you do this, be sure to save a copy of the original job ad for future reference!)

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