1. Writing the Cover Letter

2. What is A Cover Letter?
 Marketing Tool: Product = YOU
 Persuasive Writing: Invitation to find out
more about you and land you an interview
 A way to make the reader’s job easier
 Targeted Response to A Job Description
and/or a Particular organization—not generic
 ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS:
Can you do the job?
Will you do the job?
Will you fit in?
 Writing Sample

3. Four Steps for Cover Letter
Writing From Idealist.org
1. Conduct Research on The
Organization
2. Deconstruct the job or internship
description
3. Consolidate and prioritize the key
requirements you have extracted
4. Plug yourself into the organizational
and job requirements

4. The Job Description
Climate and Energy Program (CEP)
Internship, WRI
Position Summary
WRI's Climate and Energy Program (CEP) seeks a
motivated, well-organized, and detail-oriented
intern to support our climate change and energy
policy work. The successful candidate will support
CEP staff in a wide variety of activities including
publications management, event coordination,
database management, financial management,
and other tasks related to general program
administration.

5. 1. Research:
World Resources Institute
 Climate, Energy and Transport
Division Projects:
– COP-15: Countdown to Copenhagen
– U.S. Federal Climate Policy
– International & U.S. Action
– Business & Markets
– Technology & Green Power
– Energy Security & Climate Change
– Information & Analysis Tools

6. 1. Research:
World Resources Institute
 From Dec. 7-18, 2009, the world will
convene in Copenhagen, Denmark to create a
new global climate agreement to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions at the United
Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-
15).
 WRI’s experts have been actively involved in
the negotiations leading up to COP-15 and
are analyzing various dimensions of a new
agreement, among them: Vulnerability and
Adaptation; Forestry and Reduced Emissions
for Degradation and Deforestation (REDD);
Technology and Technology Transfer;
Developing Country Actions; and Finance.

7. 1. Research:
World Resources Institute
Staff
 Jonathan Pershing
 Director, Climate, Energy and Pollution Program
 Rob Bradley
 Director of International Climate Policy
 Debbie Boger
 Director of U.S. Climate Policy
 Pankaj Bhatia
 Business/Climate Change Associate III
 GHG Protocol

8. 1. Research:
World Resources Institute
News from Website:
On January 15, 2009, the US Climate
Action Partnership (USCAP) issued the
Blueprint for Legislative Action—a
detailed framework for legislation to
address climate change.

9. 2. Deconstruct the Job
Description
Climate and Energy Program (CEP)
Internship, WRI
Position Summary
WRI's Climate and Energy Program (CEP) seeks a
motivated, well-organized, and detail-oriented
intern to support our climate change and energy
policy work. The successful candidate will support
CEP staff in a wide variety of activities including
publications management, event coordination,
database management, financial management,
and other tasks related to general program
administration.

10. 2. Deconstruct the Job
Description
Qualifications
Key qualifications for this position include:
• An undergraduate degree with an excellent
academic record. Administrative support and/or
nonprofit work experience a plus.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel,
Outlook, PowerPoint) and the Internet. Experience
with constituent database systems a plus.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and work
under pressure with tight deadlines is a must.
• Familiarity with and interest in climate and
energy issues a plus.

11. 2. Deconstruct the Job
Description
Responsibilities
The intern will work in the following key areas:
• Assisting with production and tracking of CEP publications.
• Assisting with events coordination and setup.
• Entering contacts into WRI's Constituent Relationship
Management system (Raiser's Edge) and maintaining the
accuracy of contacts.
• Serving as a point of contact for internal requests for CEP
information.
• Processing contracts and payment requests for
consultants, grantees, partners, vendors, etc.
• Assisting with preparation and tracking of project budgets,
grant reports, and funding proposals.
• Organizing and updating the program's internal wiki and
network drives.
• Providing general office and administrative support as
needed.

12. 3. Key Requirements
 DEGREE:  PERSONAL QUALITIES:
Minimum: Bachelor Motivated, organized
 KNOWLEDGE:  FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE:
Energy policy Processing payments
Climate change
 TRANSFERABLE SKILLS:
 TECHNICAL SKILLS: Oral and written
MS Office Suite communication, dealing with
public, detail-oriented
Database
 WORK ENVIRONMENT
 PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE:
Publications Juggling, Pressure, Deadlines
Program Administration
Support
Event Coordination

13. 4. Plug Yourself In
 DEGREE:  PERSONAL QUALITIES:
Minimum: Bachelor Motivated, organized
 KNOWLEDGE:  FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE:
Energy policy Processing payments
Climate change
 TRANSFERABLE SKILLS:
 TECHNICAL SKILLS: Oral and written
MS Office Suite communication, dealing with
public, detail-oriented
Database
 WORK ENVIRONMENT
 PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE:
Publications Juggling, Pressure, Deadlines
Program Administration
Support
Event Coordination

14. Two Types of Cover Letters
 1) Letter of Application
 Specific job
 2) Letter of Inquiry
 Interesting company, or lead

15. Cover Letter Structure
 Your name
 Address
 Phone
 Email
 Date—February 14, 2009
 Contact Person's Name
 Contact Person's Position
 Company Name
 Company Address (Don't forget this.)

16. Cover Letter Structure
 Dear Ms. Jones, (Try to learn the NAME of
the person you are applying to)
 First paragraph
I am writing to apply for the position of
………. advertised in ......... on ........
(date). I am extremely interested in the
work of ..……, particularly....... I feel I can
bring…….to……..(why are you interested in
the job and employer, a succinct
demonstration of your knowledge of them,
and why they should look at you)

17. Paragraph One SAMPLE
I am writing to apply for the Energy and
Climate Change Internship currently
posted on World Resources Institute’s
website. I have been actively following
WRI’s role in the negotiations leading up
to COP-15 and am very interested in
supporting this and other programs
through this internship. I believe I would
bring valuable skills, experience and
knowledge to the support of publications,
events and other priorities in the Climate,
Energy and Transport division.

18. Second Paragraph
 In broad terms and in one or two
sentences, list the top experience,
knowledge, training, and skills that are
relevant to the selection criteria and the
job description.
 Select one or two relevant highlights to
explain in more detail

19. Paragraph Two SAMPLE
At Yale School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies I am a candidate for a Master of
Environmental Management with a focus on
Global Climate Change Science and Policy. I have
two years of non-profit work experience; excellent
interpersonal, communication, computer and
internet research skills; and significant event
coordination experience. At _____, I served as
administrative support to the Director and
excelled at organizing the weekly roundtable
program, managing multiple deadlines for grants
and publications, and keeping the website up-to-
date. As co-leader of ________, I initiated and
have been responsible for organizing two
semester-long lecture series focusing on climate
change and energy policy.

20. Third Paragraph
 CONNECTTHE DOTS FOR THE
EMPLOYER
 Tell
them why you are a great fit for
the company and how your skills will
meet their needs.

21. Paragraph Three SAMPLE
I hope to be attending COP-15 as part of
the ______ class at FES next winter, and
am very enthusiastic about the possibility
of supporting WRI’s “Countdown to COP-
15” and other projects this summer. I
would love to learn more about the
planning for COP-15, and believe my
combination of climate change science
knowledge and administrative experience
would make a valuable contribution to the
Climate, Energy and Transport division.

22. Closing
 Thank them for considering your
application, tell them that you have
attached a copy of your resume, and when
you would be available for an interview.
Provide your contact details (Phone / Fax /
Email)
 Yours sincerely,
 Your signature
 Print name

23. Closing SAMPLE
My resume and a writing sample are enclosed for your
review, and I am happy to answer any additional questions
you might have. I would welcome the opportunity to visit
Washington, DC to interview for the internship, and can be
reached at fes.student@yale.edu or (203)333-4444. I look
forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(hand sign here after printing if sending by mail)
Fes Student

24. Writing Tips
 Use Keywords from job description
 Always use a reader or readers to review
your materials
 Develop a standard set of phrases for the
basics of the cover letter, but target all
content to a particular employer or job
 SPELL AND GRAMMAR CHECK
 No more than one page
 Standard fonts, single-spaced
 Print on quality paper if sending by mail,
white or off-white
 Make a pdf if emailing to avoid track
changes showing up

25. CDO/FES Resources for Cover
Letter and Resume Writing
 Peer Career Advisors (PCAs)
Office Hours:
– Meredith~ Mondays, 9-12 , Donaldson Cafeteria
– Audrey~ Tuesdays, 2pm-4pm, Knobloch Environment
Center
 Communication Coaches
 Website: environment.yale.edu/cdo
 CDO Staff, by appointment
 Career Library