Professional Development Topics ➜ Cover Letter Review


Title & Content Type Due Date
Pre-meeting Assignment
  • Upload your current resume and (if available) draft cover letter
  • Be prepared to discuss with your mentor: Who is the target audience of your cover letter? What industry/industries are in your focus? What occupations/positions/job roles are you planning to apply for? 
  • Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.
Pre Meeting After -2 Days
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
  • What are your goals for reviewing your cover letter? 
  • Are you currently entering the job search or are there other opportunities you are seeking? 
  • What should the cover letter include? What are recruiters in the industry looking for in a cover letter?
  • Should the cover letter address any “red flags” evident in the resume? If so, how?
  • How can the cover letter highlight aspects of your skills, qualities, and experience that are not already featured in your resume?
  • What about a cover letter that makes a candidate stand out and move to the next stage of the hiring process? What factors or qualities about cover letters make moving on less likely?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 2, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 2 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 2 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Two – Conversation Starters.

Event After 0 Days
Deliverable

Submit a brief including (1) links to 2-3 job listings or other opportunities that reflect your interests and goals; and (2) A first draft cover letter to 1 of the prospective employers from the job listings you’ve gathered.

Submission Required After 11 Days
Meeting Two - Conversation Starters
  • What is the overall impression conveyed in the draft cover letter? What qualifications, experiences, and qualities are evident and highlighted?
  • To what extent do these align with the opportunities you are seeking? 
  • Are there any flaws or inaccuracies that should be corrected?
  • What are some suggestions for refining/elevating the quality of your cover letter?
  • How would this letter look similar or different when targeting another job listing?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 3, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 3 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 3 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Three – Conversation Starters.

Event After 13 Days
Final Deliverable

Final draft cover letters for two job listings. Be sure to include the link to the job listings if different from your first deliverable.

Submission Required After 18 Days
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
  • What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
  • What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
  • What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Event After 20 Days
Post-Engagement Survey

Mentors and Mentees please use the following link to complete the Post-Engagement Survey

Evaluation After 19 Days