Writing a cover letter can be a very daunting task, even for native English speakers.  The truth is, cover letters are an excellent opportunity to share some unique attributes and experiences that do not come across through your resume. You should always include a cover letter when sending your resume out to potential employers, and be sure to tailor it to a specific position or field — whether you are applying for a specific position or requesting some general information.  Here are a few helpful tips to write an effective cover letter for U.S. employers:

• Basic structure of the cover letter — Your cover letter should first include your contact information (Name, Address, Phone Number, Contact Email), as well as the contact information of the person you are addressing. If you do not know the name of this person you can refer to them as Hiring Manager, Hiring Director or To Whom it May Concern. The body of the cover letter should explain three important points: 1) Why you are writing 2) Why you are a good fit for the position 3) How you are going to follow up.
• Why you are writing — This is where you can state how you learned of this position and why you have chosen to apply. If you found out about the job posting through a website, indicate which website.
• Why you are a good fit for the position — Read through the job description carefully so you understand exactly what the employer is looking for.  Select qualities from the job description that you have or job functions that you have previous experience in and demonstrate how you have what the employer is searching for.
• How you will conduct follow up — You should summarize your cover letter by emphasizing that you are not only interested in the position, but that your personal background makes you a great candidate for the position. Close out by stating when you plan to follow up with the employer about your application status and provide them with how you can be reached.
• What to include — Because your cover letter will be accompanying your resume, you do not need to summarize your resume in essay form. The cover letter should discuss your relevant experience and link it to the job responsibilities of the position you are seeking. Finding a way to tie your previous experience to the position you are applying for can give your employers a better understanding of your experience and how it is suited to their hiring needs. Whether you speak about your educational background or your professional experience, it will always benefit you to explain how the credentials from your resume have helped prepare you for the position at hand.
• Show, do not tell —  In a cover letter, you can not merely state that you are a hardworking and highly motivated individual, you need to show them what you have done that makes you hardworking and motivated. If you make a claim, you must be able to back it up with real life examples that demonstrate what you are saying is true. Cite work projects and experiences or academic achievements. You can also include your involvement in extracurricular activities—all of these can serve as proof that you are just as good as you say you are.

The InterExchange Career Training USA Placement Program recruits highly qualified candidates for employers at U.S. businesses all over the country. We have a variety of employers from different industries we work with and we wanted to highlight a few of the exciting new positions we that are available:

• Web Developer Intern/Trainee
• Culinary/Baking Intern/Trainee
• User Experience (UX)/Information Science Intern/Trainee
• Hospitality Intern/Trainee

To see all of the available positions, please visit our job board: http://www.InterExchangejobs.org

Company: Kiss That Frog, Inc.
Owner: Guy Orban

In addition to the professional contributions, what other benefits did you and your company experience as a result of hiring your current intern?

Cultural benefits, learning how to work with someone from another country: The world is getting smaller and smaller. In addition, we deal with import and export issues. The cultural benefit is clearly mutual as we are able to learn each other’s values and address them accordingly. More conceptually, you learn more about yourself surrounded by foreign elements. It is an asset to the company.
Business practices from another country: we import 100% of our goods sold and it helps build bridges in the U.S. and abroad
Improved attitude of workforce: After 10+ years of hiring J-1 applicants, their motivation is contagious. It brings a new dynamic and elevates our creativity.

Any special skills or contributions that your intern provided to your work environment?

Each individual is different, especially considering cultural backgrounds. It is a matter of giving them [interns] the opportunity to develop their skills within our day-to-day operations. It makes us happy and hopeful for the future as these young individuals go home with strong positive feelings towards our country. It is the best option: promoting our values and showing the rest of the world how [welcoming] and diverse We are.

Describe two or three successes your company/your intern has achieved during your program so far.

Young individuals with a good [education] will surprise you in daily operations: from changing some administrative formats, to opening our eyes to today’s technology and how to apply it to your business in time and cost efficient ways, or even pure marketing and sales approaches. Be open and you will get more than you asked for.

What are some of the skills that you’ve learned from the intern during this program? Describe how you might apply these skills and learnings in your work environment and business practices.

To constantly be on the move, never stop listening and viewing their ever-changing environment. [Younger people’s] knowledge is so different than our generation and it is crucial to understand and use that in most of the facets of our business.

Share examples of how you’ve learned more about another culture and how you’ve shared U.S. culture with your intern.

It is all in the small details that makes your cultural approach less mechanical and more truthful. For U.S culture, we live in a wonderful country despite world economics and uncertainties. Interns can experience a certain balance [between their own cultures and ours], be themselves and often discover themselves.

What are the most meaningful things you’ve experienced during this program?

Inspiration, the idea of “The more you give, the more you receive,” and to embrace their way of thinking, [because] you will grow from it.

What would you tell a business colleague about hiring an intern through InterExchange?

Go for it!!!

InterExchange recently announced the winner of the Summer Photo Contest! Nargiza of Uzbekistan earned the $75 prize for submitting the winning photo of the contest!

This photo, along with all submissions, can be seen on our Flickr page. InterExchange will announce its next photo contest sometime in Janauary and encourage participants to enter for an opportunity to win a prize and share their experiences living and working in the U.S. through photos. 

InterExchange is preparing to launch a new Peer Mentor program to connect experienced participants of the program to  incoming interns/trainees arriving in the U.S. We hope this program will be a good resource for new participants to connect with each other and ask questions and share experiences to help ease the transition of moving to a new country. We are starting off with a pilot program in the New York area and plan to expand this service to all of our participants across the country within the next few months.  Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about this program and how you can become involved.

Moving to the U.S. to live and work, even for a temporary period, is no small undertaking. Participants may have questions about everything from finding housing in the U.S. to getting around and daily transportation. To help answer some of these questions, we have created a resource for new participants to learn what they need to do in order to have a successful, fun and stress free transition to living in the U.S. Read the full article

Career Training has created top ten lists for some of our favorite things! Our lists cover everything from the top ten things to do in great U.S. cities to the top parks around the country and everything in between! Check out our newest top ten list on the Career Training USA blog:  A Glimpse of American Culture Through Film

Even though you may not be in the U.S. yet, you can still connect with other international interns and trainees from around the world by participating in the Career Training USA online community!

InterExchange is a non-profit organization and a designated J-1 Visa sponsor devoted to promoting cross-cultural awareness through work and volunteer exchange programs. Our Career Training USA program connects international students and young professionals with internships and training programs across the USA.

The J-1 Visa is a non-immigrant visa offered through the Exchange Visitor Program and is a required document for candidates to legally intern or train in the U.S. InterExchange Career Training USA works with international interns and trainees who find their own internships as well as with those individuals who are placed in an internship through our Placement Program.