The social work cover letter accompanies a resume and is written by someone formally applying for a job or inquiring about employment opportunities. It is an introduction that is a bit more natural and loose than the information presented in the resume. This is still a highly formatted letter, and attention must be paid to constructing a perfect business letter that is error-free, and addresses the following points: indication of interest in a position, experience and education, reasons why a job is suitable, and what the applicant will do next or hopes will occur.
The cover letter is a business letter, which has the following sections: the address of the individual writing the letter, the title, name, and address of the person or company receiving the letter, a salutation to the person or company, the body of the letter, and the closing. It’s fairly easy to find examples of business letters online and many processing programs like Word® and Pages® have formats that are easy to follow and will produce a good social work cover letter.
Once the business format is created, attention shifts to how to fill in each section. There will be slight differences in the first section depending on whether the social work cover letter was solicited or unsolicited. Applicants should note that certain types of social work employers, such as state agencies, are likely to completely ignore an unsolicited cover letter, since they may be obligated to conduct full-scale advertisements for jobs. Social workers interested in work with state agencies are usually better off waiting until a job has been formally posted before sending cover letters and resumes.
The first section of the social work cover letter after the salutation is the indication of interest, and this will be composed differently depending on the way in which the applicant heard about the job or if the letter is unsolicited. An advertised job or a job known to be available through conversation with contacts is spoken of in an enthusiastic manner: “I was happy to hear…” or “It made me so glad to see your advertisement…”
If knowledge of the job came from a friend or business associate who has business or friendship ties with the potential employer, that person’s name should be mentioned because it can establish instant credibility: “My field supervisor Dr. Athena Rolf, shared with me that your company is looking for a psychiatric social worker,” for example. If knowledge of the job came from an advertisement the indication of interest can compliment the employer: “I was happy to see your advertisement for an opening with your company, which has such a strong reputation in the field of child advocacy.”
The next section of the social work cover letter draws out applicable experience on the resume, which may come from work or field training. Emphasize the experience most closely related to the desired employment. If experience is in different fields, the social worker can talk about those areas of social work that are needed in all fields of employment, such as working as a team leader, handling a caseload, direct practice, policy work, or other areas. Section three adds on to section two, talking about the qualities that particularly match the social worker to a specific type of employment.
The final paragraph of the social work cover letter is either an indication of the next act the applicant will take or what she would like to have happen. Some social workers call an agency and set up an appointment to speak with them, in which case they’ll indicate when the employer can expect a call. Others simply tell the employer that they’ll look forward to hearing from him or her and thank the employer for their time. This last paragraph should include thanks, no matter what the applicant plans to do.
Before the letter can be considered finished, it should be checked for grammar and spelling. Get someone else to proofread if this not a personal strength. Length of the letter is usually no longer than a page.
