Best Canadian Cover Letters by Sharon Graham

Looking for a sample cover letter in French? Need a quick check for a word's Canadian spelling? Best Canadian Cover Letters, a companion book to Best Canadian Resumes which was just released in a second edition, has this and more.

The basics of cover letters is covered including how to write and format the cover letter. There are sample cover letters for new grads, mid-level workers and senior level from a wide range of industries. There is also good indexing in the book, and I especially liked the "Index of Obstacles", since job seekers sometimes have a career obstacle that will keep them from their goal, such as a career gap or a relocation is required.

I do have some concerns about the book. For example, on page 35 there is a sample letter for an animal control officer dispatcher and the comments at the bottom talk about how the cover letter writer showcased their interest in "animal rights". Now, I don't know about your animal control authority, but I don't think an "animal rights" political stance will attract a person to work in animal control. "Animal welfare" on the other hand is the accurate term. This made me concerned that there might be other letters in the book that incorrectly referred to or suggested terminology that might be inappropriate for the industry--I recognized this one because I do have an interest in animal welfare.

Despite that concern, which careful reading and a knowledge of the specific industry will overcome, I think this book is a good choice for Canadian libraries and will be an asset to Canadian job seekers, since there is a wide range of samples and it includes a few examples of the difficult to find French cover letter.


Best Canadian Cover Letters