| Nearly all job seekers are well aware of the | | | | position. If you saw the position advertised or were |
| importance of a resume when applying for a | | | | referred by someone, be sure to include this |
| professional opinion, but few realize the vital role that | | | | information. |
| an accompanying cover letter plays in the selection | | | | Grab the reader's attention and stimulate their interest |
| process. In fact, your cover letter is just as important | | | | in you right away!! |
| to your job search as is your resume. | | | | Part 2 - Summary of your Qualifications: |
| Consider this: recruiters and managers often receive | | | | Highlight your strongest qualifications for the position |
| dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for every one | | | | you are seeking. Be sure to limit your qualifications to |
| available position. With so many applicants to review, | | | | only those that are the most relevant to the position. |
| interviewers do not have much time to determine if | | | | Show, rather than simply tell, the manager your |
| you are qualified for the job. In fact, a recruiter typically | | | | qualifications by including specific, credible examples |
| spends between one and two minutes quickly glancing | | | | from your experience. |
| over a resume, hardly enough to thoroughly investigate | | | | Quantify these qualifications whenever possible by |
| if your skills set and experience is a good match for | | | | focusing on pertinent figures, projects, awards, and |
| the position. | | | | equipment/software/tools you've used that are |
| This is why a cover letter is such a critical tool to the | | | | relevant to the job you want. For example, rather than |
| job seeking process. The purpose of a cover letter is | | | | highlighting your "excellent customer service skills" |
| to clearly express your interest in and qualifications for | | | | indicates that you "achieved a 98% customer |
| a position to a prospective employer. So while the | | | | satisfaction rating" or "increased department sales by |
| resume is a generic advertisement, your cover letter | | | | 25% in the first quarter". |
| tailors your application to each specific job. By | | | | Part 3 - Why you are Interested in the Position: |
| condensing your resume into key points and drawing | | | | Let the recruiter know why you want to work at their |
| the recruiter's attention to the most relevant areas of | | | | company. What is it about the company that appeals |
| your experience, you are assisting the recruiter in | | | | to you? |
| matching up your qualifications to that of the open | | | | Why does this particular position appeal to you? |
| position. And by taking the guesswork out of your | | | | Indicate why you are a good fit for the company. How |
| resume, you greatly increase your chances of getting | | | | will be an asset to the team? |
| a call for an interview. | | | | Part 4 - Conclusion and Follow-up: |
| A cover letter has to "sell" your qualifications to a | | | | Refer employers to your enclosed resume so that |
| complete stranger and convince them that you are | | | | they can review your qualifications in further detail. |
| worthy of an in-person meeting. Therefore, as you can | | | | Request a personal interview or meeting with the hiring |
| imagine, it is not an easy document to write. There are | | | | manager. |
| several guidelines, though, that should assist you in the | | | | Indicate how the recruiter should contact you. Be sure |
| cover letter development process. | | | | to provide a working phone number or e-mail address. |
| Typically a cover letter is less than one page in length | | | | Set a time to follow up. For example indicate that you |
| and has four main sections: the introduction, a highlight | | | | "will call to follow up on Monday afternoon". |
| of your qualifications, a summary of why you are | | | | Thank the reader for his or her time. |
| interested in the position, and a concluding follow-up. | | | | One final note: your cover letter is the first impression |
| Before you start listing a litany of skills, though, it's | | | | that recruiters will get of you. A strong focused cover |
| important to do some research on the company and | | | | letter can convey a powerful, positive first impression. |
| the position for which you are applying to give you a | | | | A weak non-focused letter, though, can kill any interest |
| better understanding of the company's products or | | | | a recruiter may have in your qualifications, regardless |
| services, history, values, and target customer market. | | | | of how strong of a fit you may be for the position. Be |
| This will help give you a better idea of what recruiters | | | | sure that you proofread carefully for grammatical and |
| are likely to be seeking in a candidate, and allow you to | | | | typographical errors before sending any |
| tailor your cover letter to specifically address those | | | | correspondence. |
| areas. | | | | Could your resume be improved by a professional? |
| Part 1 - The Introduction: | | | | Find out with the guide to the best sample resumes, |
| Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring | | | | cover letters, resume examples, resume formats and |
| manager, whenever possible. | | | | a free 12-step email course to succeed at interview. |
| Specifically mention the position(s) that you are seeking | | | | This article may be reprinted in full so long as the |
| Let the recruiter know how you heard about the | | | | resource box and live links are included intact. |