Note for Purdue Students: Schedule a consultation at the How might I use my university's career center?
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Summary:
Before you start to write a cover letter, you should gather information about yourself, the company, and the job. This page will help you learn what kind of information to find, where to find it, and how and why to use that information to "sell yourself" in a cover letter.
One way to learn about a company and what it values is to refer to your university's career center. Most universities have a career center to help their student population with the transition to the professional world. Because of their connections to different businesses and industries, a career center may be a good place to ask about a company's values.
There are really two connections to search for:
- Ask if the employees at the career center know anything about the company you are interested in.
- Ask if the university has connections with that company (does it visit the career fairs?).
Even if the career center has no connection with the company, they may be able to point you in the right direction to learn more and prepare to write your cover letter.