Whether you are applying for a job or for funding, whether you are presenting business papers or an artist's portfolio, you cannot expect the recipient to know your purpose for applying or showing such things immediately. In all these cases and more, you need a suitable, polite, and persuasive cover letter.

What is a cover letter? It is your chance to make a first impression – it may also be your only chance to make any impression at all. In fact, a cover letter can make or break an application, so it has to be written briefly, correctly, and neatly. Depending on your needs, it has to contain all the essential information about you and your goals in as few sentences as possible.

What does a cover letter look like?

All letters begin with an address. Do your research immediately by knowing the complete name of the person interested in your materials. Is this person a man or a woman? How should this person be addressed? Make sure that you do not begin your letter with a simple “Dear Madam” or “Dear Sir”; and never begin your letter with “To Whom it May Concern!” This actually does the opposite: it shows no concern on your part, and the company will most likely show no concern for you as a result. Include the contact person's name and position in your heading, then make the address.

All letters contain a body – and this body has to be brief and full of information, all on one page. To write this section well, you have to know your goals. Are you applying for a job? Do you know the duties you have to undertake? Are you presenting an artist's portfolio? What is that portfolio for? Let the goals guide you, and your letter body will surely be written well.

When writing the body of your letter, introduce yourself in one sentence. State your career goals in the next sentence if you are applying for a job, or the goals of your letter if you are looking for funding. State your interest in the job or company in the next sentence. If you are looking to make a deal with a company to ensure it commercial exposure, then state so in one sentence.

Maintain an air of politeness and strength in the letter. This straightforward tone will grab attention easily.

All cover letters need to show that you are reachable. Provide all your contact information. If you will not be reachable at certain numbers during certain times of the day, then state so. The company has to know that you care about it, so it cannot be troubled by trivialities like looking for you all over town.

All letters end with a closing address. Be brief, polite, but forward looking in your conclusion. Endings such as “I look forward to your quick, positive response” can end a letter on a good note. Be sure to thank the contact person for their time – after all, the contact person can have very little of it, and the least you can do is to thank them for spending it on you!

Sign your name and give that cover letter a personal touch. Be sure that it is neat and presentable as well. First impressions count!

Are you applying for a job by presenting your credentials, or by showing off your portfolio? Are you looking for funding for your research project, or are you soliciting products to give away at your next company outing? Get to writing that cover letter and make your supplementary materials all the more attractive. You will have that job, funding, and whatever you need in no time at all.