Student Employment and Career Services held a workshop June 28 on campus focusing on the importance of cover letters.

The free workshop was attended by five students who wanted to hone their cover letter writing skills.

A cover letter accompanies a résumé and introduces an applicant to an employer, said Debra Vaughn, Student Employment and Career Services director.

A cover letter is an important and underemphasized aspect of the employment process, Vaughn said during her presentation.

Employment Services Coordinator Judi McGee also spoke at the workshop.

“A cover letter is so important because it’s usually the first thing Human Resources reads to determine whether or not they will even read your résumé,” McGee said.

Some of the aspects discussed in the workshop were avoiding the hard-sell approach, addressing the cover letter correctly, and avoiding poor grammar and misspellings, Vaughn said.

Vaughn also cautioned against the use of form letters.

“A form letter can be spotted by an employer and may signify a lack of effort,” she said.

Vaughn also said it’s important to print resumés on résumé paper. Résumé paper is available for free in the Student Employment and Career Services office, she said.

Another tip discussed in the workshop is to have a friend or colleague review the résumé.

This helps get an outside voice or different perspective, Vaughn said.

Student Employment and Career Services will host free Employment and Career Power Workshops 12:30 to 1 p.m. every Thursday, July 1 through the 29, in the Main Building, Room 1G7.

“Even though the workshops are held Thursdays, students can drop by anytime for help with any of the topics covered in these workshops,” Vaughn said.

For more information, call 405-682-7519 or visit the Student Employment and Career Services office, located in the Main Building.

To contact Christian Kosted, email seniorwriter@occc.edu.