Writing a Must-Read Cover Letter

If you want to land an interview, you'll need more than a perfectly polished resume, you'll also need a perfectly polished cover letter.

A cover letter does more than provide a mere introduction, it gives the employer an opportunity to see why you are the right candidate for the job-before she even takes a look at your resume! By taking the time to customize a cover letter to each job opportunity, you can almost guarantee that your resume will get a good look instead of landing a permanent home in the circular file-or worse, the recycling bin.

Put yourself in the employer's shoes for a moment. You have stacks of resumes on your desk and only one position to fill. Because you are crunched for time, you'll need a quick way to review everyone's qualifications and reduce the pile to a handful of possible candidates. How will you do this?

By browsing each cover letter.

If a cover letter intrigues you, you'll then flip to the resume and give it a look before deciding which pile the resume belongs in.

WHY ARE YOU THE RIGHT CANDIDATE?

This is the burning question on employer's minds.

When you are writing a cover letter, let the employer know how you can benefit her company. Include a few career highlights and give a few examples of how your expertise will be a positive addition to the staff. Resumes often focus on past accomplishments and employment history. Although that is valuable information, the employer really wants to know what you can do for them. Give examples of how you plan on increasing profits, locating new customers or increasing productivity. Employers will be impressed that have spent time thinking about how to better their company before you even step through the door.

BREVITY IS BEST

You may feel compelled to rattle on about your employment history and recent accomplishments to stress your extensive experience. But, you don't want your cover letter to appear overwhelming. If you were presented with a page long document with tight margins and small text, would you be excited to dive in? Employers won't be either. Remember, your resume may be only 1 of 100. Make sure the important details jump out instead of burying them in blocks of text. Your cover letter is not intended to replicate all of the information in your resume.

Think of it as a teaser-if you grab their interest in the cover letter, you can guarantee that your resume will get a fair look.

In general, a cover letter can be accomplished in half a page. Depending on your situation, it may be shorter or longer, but make sure it never exceeds a page.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Since resumes don't explain potential resume problems, such as gaps in employment history, it is often acceptable to explain any discrepancies here. Keep it brief and don't get too personal. It's not a good idea to share too much information, and never, never bad-mouth a former employer. Regardless of the circumstances, this will almost definitely destroy your chances of an interview.

NEATNESS COUNTS

It probably goes without saying that your cover letter-and resume for that matter-should be polished and neatly printed on high quality paper. Make sure to proofread the letter to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Don't rely on spell check, which usually doesn't locate misuses of words such as "there" and "their" or "two" and "too." If spelling isn't your strong suit, have a word-savvy friend edit for you.

Neatness also includes addressing the letter to the correct person. Using the introduction "To whom it may concern," or "Human Resource Personnel" is inappropriate and looks lazy. Make a good impression by calling the company to find the correct person and his/her title. It will be worth the effort.

Writing an individualized cover letter is time-consuming and tedious, but it is worth all the effort. Take the time to write a sparkling letter and your soon your phone will be ringing with interested employers.

Good luck!

Lindsey Hadwin is the President of Pro Resume, an online resume writing service. For more information, go to http://www.proresumegroup.com

---

Job Search 101

The whole job search effort is completely exhausting and at times just plain pathetic. It is what it is and if you are unemployed know that the... Read More

How to Give Job-Winning Answers at Interviews

Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts all agree: one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a job interview is to anticipate... Read More

Are You Winning the Talent Wars?

How many times have you heard or read, "Our employees are our greatest asset"?What are the chances of any company surviving if it cannot find the right... Read More

20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career

You don't want to stay in your current position forever... you want to move up! Here are 20 ways to boost your chances of getting that nice... Read More

Work at Home Jobs Vs Self Employment

Work at Home Jobs vs Owning a Home Based BusinessNot everyone is interested in owning their own home business, but a lot of people are interested in... Read More

Your Next Performance Appraisal: Make It Work For You

In the rush of everyday work, it can be difficult to think about your own career development. An appraisal is a key opportunity to identify your strengths,... Read More

50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them

1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant. You know, the one you can't afford. Call them back and cancel his... Read More

Beat the Crowd with Winning Resume Cover Letters

Far too many people underestimate the importance of resume cover letters. In a sense, a well written cover letter works like an agent on your behalf. It... Read More

How To Get a Job Offer From Every Interview

About four years ago a friend told me one night that she had an interview the next week and was looking for some comfort as she was... Read More

Factual Employment Screening Part 1

We have all heard in recent years that the need for a substantive policy of conducting pre-and post-employment background checks exists in more than just defense contractor... Read More

When Should You Update Your Job Skills?

With the U.S. economy still slumping and unemployment numbers barely moving forward, many workers may be considering what their employment future could be like if they were... Read More

Dont Forget to Say, Thank You

One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to not follow up an important interview with a thank you note to the people who interviewed them.... Read More

10 Steps to Escape the Job World and Create the Life You Really Want

1. GET THE POINT ? OF LIFE, THAT IS. How many of us will look back in our old age and wish we'd gone to more... Read More

Unemployment Blues: Staying Afloat

The unemployment checks are running out and there is no potential job in sight. The wolf is knocking at the door and you need to survive.Here are... Read More

Ten Tips to a Powerful Resume

A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of... Read More

Resume Writing - Things to Consider

You are looking for a job and you are out to land the job of a lifetime. It can happen! Before you consider want ads, job websites,... Read More

Create a Network and Catapult Your Job Search

Networking is still known as a great job-search strategy, yet it eludes some individuals simply because they don't know how to go about it. Individuals also tend... Read More

In Control - Inside Tips on Interview Success

No, you can't control how the interview will be conducted, nor can you control the outcome. But you can influence it greatly by the way you present... Read More

How to Feel Satisfied in Your Career

Many people turn a beloved hobby into a vocation. They have a gift, a talent screaming for expression. It means doing something that they love. At last,... Read More

Youre Bright And Talented -- TooT Your Own Horn --

Obviously, there are RIGHT ways to move UP the ladder. Being in the right place certainly has tremendous benefits. YOU have to "kinda" find ways to be... Read More

Online Resume Tips and Secrets

I manage a website for corporate flight attendants that features resumes prominently listed on the first page of the site. Unlike some careers, corporate flight attendants must... Read More

Why One Word Answers are Bad News at Job Interviews

It takes a lot of time and effort to get invited to a job interview. Don't blow your chances by being misunderstood by the interviewer. Not many... Read More

How To Create A Winning Impression In Your New Job

Congratulations! You've just been appointed to your new job. Now the real work begins.It is important from the beginning to convince your new employers that, in selecting... Read More

Managing The Boss Is Essential To Career Success

Your boss is the gatekeeper of your career. Unless you are able to manage a positive relationship with him at each step in your career you will... Read More

Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job

Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has... Read More

Free Resume Examples: Untold Wealth In 10 Minutes!

Doesn't every job search start with Google?Way back in another lifetime, I was looking for a job after one of my startups failed. Conveniently, everything went to... Read More