EduCareer StaffBlog"Rinjin Blog" | "EduCareer"Supporting your career in English teaching in the Japanese school system

Writing a great cover letter

2010/08/30

When applying for a job at EduCareer, a cover letter should accompany your resume. The cover letter gives us a sense of who you are and what your skills and goals are, and it conveys more personality than a resume. It also gives us a writing sample that can help us judge your English composition skills- very important if you're looking to teach in private schools!

1) Address your cover letter properly. Write to a specific person if possible, if not "Dear Sir or Madam" or "To whom it may concern" will suffice. Do not address it to "Mr. (insert job title here)"- the human resources director or hiring director might be a woman, so if you are unsure of the person's name a neutral greeting is the best. If you do use a neutral greeting though, make sure your cover letter proves you've read the job description and aren't just sending a general letter!

2) A cover letter should be 3-4 paragraphs explaining who you are, your accomplishments, and why you feel you should be considered for the position (including specifics to show you read the job ad and are familiar with EduCareer). Try and focus on what you can bring to a new school, not what you want, and what you feel makes you stand out as a teacher. It shouldn't be too long (we don't need a 3 page essay on what lead you to Japan), nor too short- "see attached" is not a cover letter!

3) Spell check and proofread. You're applying for a job as an English teacher, so a poorly written cover letter usually means no interview!

4) Reaffirm your interest and contact details at the end of the letter. For positions in Japan it is also helpful to add your visa details- type of visa and expiration date. This can ease the hiring process.

Good luck!!

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