FIRST NAME LAST NAME websiteaddress.wix.com (123) 456-7890 abcdefg@berklee.edu Date Employer s name Employer s title Organization name Address Dear Mr./Ms. [last name, or Hiring Manager or To Whom It May Concern if it s impossible after researching thoroughly to get a contact name]: First paragraph: State the reason you are writing what are you applying for? Where did you hear about the position? Who are you? Attract the employer s attention by pitching the letter to his or her needs or interests, rather than to your career goals. Make a connection between you and the opportunity, company, or individual. Second paragraph: Explain how your abilities, background, and qualifications will enable you to contribute to the organization. Describe how your specific skills, strengths, or personal attributes are relevant to the position. You may emphasize two or three items from your resumé, but try not to be redundant. The cover letter supplements your resume by serving as an introduction and highlighting your special qualities that might help persuade an employer to contact you. Keep it oriented to the employer s needs! Final paragraph: Reiterate your interest in the position, if you d like. You may provide a date when you will contact him/her to set up an appointment make sure to follow through. Thank the employer for his/ her time and consideration. [Your signature] Your name typed COVER LETTER TEMPLATE
SAMPLE COVER LETTER WITH TEXT Employer Name Employer Address Their City, State, Zip Code Their Phone Number Their Email Date Dear Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager Name (or To Whom It May Concern): I would like to express my interest in the [insert title or job posting number] position with the [specific company] as posted on [www.listingsite.com]. Throughout my job search and conversations with [company employee name here], I have come to respect the professionalism that characterizes your Company and its employees. I am confident that the company team values and objectives would highly complement my own strengths and enthusiasm. I was impressed to learn about the company s recent acquisition, a tactic which I see as indicative of [Company] being the ideal environment in which to begin my career. Evidence of my leadership and problem solving skills can be seen in my responsibilities as an intern at Company B and my commitment to my academics. As an intern, I implemented a newsletter that was distributed to 30,000 people and created new advertising revenue for Company B. For two years in college, I was a student government representative and created change in policies on campus to positively impact students. I welcome the opportunity to meet with you and explore the company environment, as well as possible job opportunities at the company. I will call your office next week to discuss these possibilities. I look forward to exchanging ideas with you concerning a career at [specific company] and the positive contributions I would offer as a member of your organization. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience. First Name Last name
Daniel Plicken dplicken1@berklee.edu (123) 456-7890 123 Roundabout Way, Boston, MA 02115 May 10, 2017 Keith Michael kmichael2@berklee.edu Dear Mr. Michael, Please accept my application for the Technology Support Assistant Position. I was informed about the opening via a Berklee Student Employment Notice email. I am currently in my seventh semester, double majoring in Contemporary Writing & Production (CWP) and Songwriting. In my time at Berklee, I have become familiar with many of the software programs offered in many of the student major bundles, including DP, ProTools, Komplete, Reason, and Finale. I have also gone through the process of contacting the software and hardware companies concerning different glitches I encountered. This experience has made me familiar with some of the protocol concerning BLPP and student major bundle software issues and problems. I would welcome the opportunity to help fellow students solve such problems. As an office manager and a freelance graphic designer, I had to maintain organized records and interact with many different people. It would be a valuable experience for me to apply such skills at the PWD, where I would be able to absorb even more knowledge of the organization and technological tools that the department utilizes. I welcome the opportunity to interview with you for the position. Thank you for your time and consideration. Daniel Plicken STUDENT EMPLOYMENT COVER LETTER
Alexandra Ulmer 223 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215 610.533.1686 alexjayullman@gmail.com February 16, 2016 Mr. Christopher Vuk School of Groove 883 Cambridge Street Cambridge, MA 02141 Dear Mr. Vuk, It is with great eagerness that I apply for a position as an instructor at the School of Groove. After perusing your website, your vision of teaching contemporary music in a contemporary way resonates with me both as a Berklee student and as a saxophonist. I feel that venues such as clubs, bars, and performance centers are intertwined with the development of Modern American music, and that music education should involve these performance spaces. I view the teaching opportunity at School of Groove as a way to bring together my performance and teaching careers into the field of music education. I have extensive experience working with underprivileged youth in urban areas, and before I came to Berklee, I was a member of the Penn Music Mentors program- a volunteer-based club in which I taught saxophone lessons to students in Sayre Middle School in West Philadelphia. Bringing my horn to the classroom was an experience that helped me to craft a conversational yet effective style of teaching instrumental performance and technique. Since moving to Boston, I have also volunteered at Boston Community Leadership Academy, where I teach English to two students, one from Iran and the other from Nigeria. Because they are non-native speakers, I help them gain confidence with a new language in an urban environment, and I believe that I can instill the same confidence in students of contemporary music. My experience as a music student and performer has also prepared me to work with younger musicians. Having studied with master teachers of improvisation such as Hal Crook and Ed Tomassi, I have collected thousands of exercises for both private and group settings that help prepare students for creating music that today s audiences are interested in experiencing. I view teaching at the School of Groove as a way to become part of the next big thing in music education, and it is exciting for me to contribute my skills to educating the next generation of contemporary musicians. Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Alex Ulmer
SAMPLE MUSIC THERAPY COVER LETTER Armstrong Music Therapy Program Boston Children s Hospital 300 Longwood Ave Boston, MA 02115 Dear Mr./Ms. : I am applying for the music therapy internship program in the Music Therapy Department at Boston Children s Hospital to begin sometime after September 2017. In May of this year I will be graduating with a B.M. in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music. As a nontraditional music college, Berklee has helped me expand my musical versatility through training in the genres of jazz, blues, pop, rock, country, and improvisation, as well as introducing me to the guitar, hand percussion, and the harp to complement my existing experience with the clarinet, piano, and voice. The training I have received at Berklee has engendered tremendous academic and personal development for me, and provided defining direction to my aspirations. I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of clinical settings, which has broadened my awareness of the wide range of applications for music therapy. As a result, I have begun to gain a sense of myself as a developing clinician, building confidence and discovering strong motivation. My accumulated academic and personal experiences have supported my growth and aspirations in the field of music therapy, and it is my goal to further explore the medical setting and the challenges and opportunities it presents. I am especially interested in research in the areas of music and neurological development, and in music therapy in the NICU, which is an area I have learned about but have not yet had the opportunity to experience firsthand. The Louis and Lucille Armstrong Music Therapy Department at Beth Israel Medical Center promotes a holistic, integrated approach to health that I would be excited and honored to contribute to and grow from. This program is my first choice and I believe that my strong academic skills and research interests, adaptability and versatility, and attitude of empathic curiosity, coupled with my musical abilities and the training I have received from Berklee, make me an ideal candidate for this position. Please find enclosed my application and supporting materials. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. Ana C. Nguyen