Most graduates that I have helped have been pleasantly surprised when I asked them to list specific subjects and to detail how the knowledge from those subjects has prepared them for a particular skill or criteria in the job. You see, it's not the fact that you are a graduate that is important (although it is a great milestone!), it is the knowledge you gained during the course of your studies that is valuable to an employer.
Here is a sample to demonstrate how graduate subjects, experience, memberships and hobbies can be used to improve the quality of your resume cover letter.
(Introduction)
Dear Sir/Madam (use a name if one is provided in the advertisement)
Your advertisement in www.it-pathways.com on 30 November was particularly appealing. I wish to apply for the vacancy and submit my details for your consideration.
(Body - you will note that this graduate outlines relevant subjects and experience whilst leaving out the many dozens of other skills he/she may have developed.)
My background, as outlined in the attached CV, enables me to meet your requirements. Four years of university included advanced C# programming and HTML. My final year commercial project involved designing and writing an user interface for a proprietary system previously developed by CompanyX Pty. Ltd. The client was extremely impressed with the results and their reference is attached for your perusal.
(Body - additional experiences. Showing how your skills have been developed from a number of different sources or subjects helps to add credibility to your letter.)
In addition to my university experience I am currently developing a monitoring system in C# as a home project. The system utilizes the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to graph and report on network impairment using a custom made formula. I believe that the system will be useful for gamers who rely on low latency links for a richer experience.
(Conclusion - keep it friendly and positive.)
Thank you for your consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to present myself at an interview. I can be contacted on 4433 22233 222112 (mobile)
Yours truly,
As you can see, the content is all about the employer. The employer is interested in you, but only to the extent of knowing what you can do for them. Also, don't assume that the employer knows that material you learned during your education. You may need to spell out the relevant material to establish that connection.
We have heaps of cover letter examples on the site. Just use the search bars at the top or bottom of the page and you will get pages of results.
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