To deliver your cover letter properly, review the instructions on the application:
- do they tell you how to submit your resume and cover letter?
- do they want these documents as attachments or pasted into the body of an email?
- do the instructions specify the type of documents you can attach? (The most commonly accepted attachment is a PDF.)
- if the instructions don’t specify, attach your resume and cover letter to the email. PDFs or Word documents are preferred
- if you are unsure, check with the Piper Center or contact the organization
Printing your cover letter
- hand sign your cover letter
- use a laser printer
- use 20 lb bond paper (standard printer paper)
- choose a basic color (white, off-white, cream, beige, or gray)
- print your resume and any other documents using the same kind of paper
Scanning your cover letter
- hand sign your cover letter
- use white paper
- use black ink
- make sure that you haven’t folded the paper, spilled on it, or marked it in any way
- send the scanned document to your email as a PDF.
Sending your cover letter by email
- use an appropriate subject line. If the application doesn’t tell you what to put in the subject line, use a simple and appropriate phrase like “Experienced Art History Grad for Exhibitions Manager”
- keep the body of your email short, unless the instructions say otherwise. Type no more than 1 or 2 short paragraphs
- introduce yourself and state that your resume and cover letter are attached
- include a greeting and a closing (followed by your name) within your email
- spell check! Proofread!
- send a test version of the email (including attachments) to yourself first. Make sure that the email text looks normal and that the attachments open. Proofread one more time