THE GENRE’S CONVENTIONS

Elements of the genre

Style

Design

Sources

Elements of the genre

Introduce themselves as applicants. Nollen names the position she’s interested in and mentions that she is currently attending NYU’s Summer Publishing Institute, which indicates engagement. Uses standard business letter formatting. Nollen includes the address and name of the recipient, the date, a salutation, and a signature.

Refers specifically to the position. Nollen mentions the position, marketing assistant,in the opening sentence of her cover letter.

Explains why this job and organization are appealing. In the opening of the letter, and throughout, Nollen discusses Bedford, making the reader aware that she has not only researched the company, but also sees how she fits as a potential employee.

Refers to the resume. On Nollen’s resume, she lists the different internships she has had. By explaining some of the work she did during the internship, she gives the reader detailed information that is not available on the resume, such as mentioning that she wrote “persuasive copy for mailers,” something she might do as a marketing assistant.

Is brief. Nollen’s cover letter gives enough details to expand on the resume, yet doesn’t give so many extraneous details that the reader is bogged down with a long letter.

Closes with a request for an interview. Nollen’s final paragraph discusses her availability and desire to meet for an interview.

Style

Technique. Nollen uses the first person throughout. For example, she writes, “I want to learn as much as I can about the present publishing industry. . . .”

Voice and tone. While Nollen keeps the tone professional, detailing her accomplishments and fit for the job, she also infuses the letter with part of her personality, such as when she says, “I’d love to be a part of that.”

Detail. Nollen uses specific details throughout. Rather than just mentioning that she is a marketing director for a project in the NYU publishing program, she details what that position entails.

Design

Nollen follows cover letter design conventions by using single-spaced paragraphs with spaces between each paragraph.

Sources

Nollen draws on her own experiences throughout the cover letter.