How to I write a cover letter?

[Guest]

I am reentering the employment field after staying home with my children. I
am applying for a Domestice Violence Court Advocate position. How do I word
the cover letter to fill in the gaps in my years of employment? I don't have
court experience but I have personal experience with domestice violence and I
have a family member who works for the court system.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You explain that you have been staying home with your children. This is a
perfectly good reason for a gap in employment. I would imagine that the main
purpose of your letter would be to get an interview, during which you can
bring out your experience. Having a family member who works for the court
system might actually work to your disadvantage if there are anti-nepotism
rules, but the family member might help you get a foot in the door for an
interview. You'll probably have more success if you spell "domestic"
correctly.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

This newsgroup is for technical problems using Word. "How do I write a cover
letter" is not a Word issue.

You'd be much more likely to find useful help if you consult a career
counselor. Also, make sure you use a spell checker when you write the
letter. In Word, type "domestice" and then press F7.

 

[Guest]

Please forgive me. I didn't realize there were so many pedants in here. I
DO know how to spell, quite well as a matter of fact. It was a simple ERROR
on my part. I was probably typing too fast and, horrors, neglected to use my
spell check. I did not realize that I would be "graded" on my content,
spelling, and/or grammar. I was simply trying to get some help in my
endeavor (big word-----------aren't you impressed?). I now regret posting
anything. Perhaps I will study the "rules" more closely next time.

 

[Guest]

Please read my response to Suzanne.
Also, please forgive me for not posting my question in the "correct" room.
I am new to this. I don't generally post questions in public fora (that
would be the plural of forum) but thought I would try.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

There's nothing wrong with your asking, it is just that we know about how to
make Word do things, but we are not really good advisors as to what should
go into _your_ letter. Suzanne's suggestions on the gaps are good. You might
also do some web reading on various domestic violence programs, both the one
you are applying for and others.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide




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This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you had misspelled "domestic" once, I would have let it pass. But it was
misspelled the same way twice, and there was also a typo in your subject
line. I am a copy editor by trade, so I notice such things, and it is part
of my job to help people put their best foot forward in writing. If I had
said nothing else, I would deserve your rebuke, but I did offer all the
helpful suggestions I could think of, given that this is, as Charles points
out, a forum devoted more to the "how" than to the "what" of letters. For
more on the how, see http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/Letterhead.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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