initiate contact (for a variety of purposes) with . . .an employer to introduce yourself and inquire about job or internship possibilitiesan employer to apply for a job or internshipan alumnus, family or friend to ask for an informational interviewa professor or former supervisor to request a letter of recommendationcapture the employer"s (or reader"s) interestinvite the recipient to read your resume in depthsecure an interview (for information or employment purposes)
Your cover letter should be no longer than one-page composed of 3-4 paragraphs and should be word-processed in a professional letter format, unless you are a PhD applying for academic positions, then you may use two pages.
