Job Search Correspondence

Job search correspondence is more than cover letters. It encompasses all of the written communication that you might have with an employer over the course of your job search. Career Services is available to assist you as you develop these communication documents. You may schedule an appointment at any time to meet with a Career Development Facilitator by calling 277-2531, or drop by walk-in hours for a quick review. You may also want to consider attending our workshop on ?Resumes & Cover Letters,? which is offered every semester via our Career Builder Series. Below are a number of resources to get you started!

Writing Professional Cover Letters

Our comprehensive guide to cover letter writing explains the components of a successful cover letter, as well as numerous examples.

Networking/Prospecting Letters

These letters are similar to cover letters in that they are employed to express your interest in a position or organization. However, unlike a cover letter, there is no specific, posted position to which you are applying. Therefore, the purpose of these letters is to 1) introduce your resume and 2) network (or ?prospect?) for potential opportunities. These letters work well when you are interested in a specific organization or industry, and a position isn?t known to exist. These letters may be used when you have a specific contact name provided from a mutual contact (networking letter); or, when you don?t know anyone specific within an organization (prospecting letter). This is a small nuance; the tone of both types of letters is generally the same.

Thank You and Follow-Up Letters

Read more about each of these two documents below. Also, see our guide to writing each of these distinct letters.

Follow-Up Letters

These types of letters are used when some aspect of the job search process has become ?stalled,? or when you are reestablishing contact with someone. The purpose of these letters is to express your continued interest, refresh the memory of the recipient, and ?jumpstart? the process.

Thank You Letters

Thank you letters are crucial at every stage of the job search process. Most applicants won?t take the time to pen a thank you letter. The purpose of these types of letters is to express appreciation: for receiving a contact name, for taking the time to do an informational interview, for being selected for an interview and, hopefully, a job! Whenever you receive a piece of information or someone?s time, you should send a thank you letter.

All samples are fictitious and were created by UNM Career Services.