COVER LETTERS

Cover Letters ... a focused message to start things off

Once your resume is developed, you need to think about creating cover letters that are specific to the type of job or industry you are targeting. Use the job description as a guide, note the required skills and experience and make sure your cover letter addresses those points.

Cover LettersThere are a lot of opinions about the value of cover letters. Most professionals believe they are essential and have a significant impact on the job search process. A good cover letter can make your qualifications stand out from the crowd, and often makes the difference in getting called for an interview. In a few cases, online applications may not make it possible to include your cover letter, but they are the exception. Any faxed or hard copy resume should only be submitted with a cover letter.

Cover letters are important so take the time to prepare and to customize them for the particular job for which you are applying for. When customizing your cover letter, you can specify why you are interested in the position, summarize your strengths, and address any gaps (e.g. lacking skills or experience). The cover letter can also demonstrate your writing style and skills, which cannot really be shown in a resume. If your cover letter is well written and customized, it can persuade the recruiter or hiring manager to review your resume more closely.

Cover Letter Format

Keep your cover letter short and to the point! Since the average time spent initially screening a resume is probably less than 30 seconds, the cover letter likely gets far less. The use of bullet points can help speed the reader’s focus to the particular points you want stressed.

A cover letter needs to tell the reader three things: (1) why you are writing, (2) how you match the job requirements and (3) why you want the job. This information can easily follow the sample format of a paragraph or two, plus a few bullet points. The bullet points should focus on your accomplishments as they relate to the job you are applying for and the benefits the employer would receive if they hired you. Some people have found success in creating a short table that lists the employer's job requirements in one column, and their matching skills and accomplishments in a second column.

To test the effectiveness of your cover letter, give it to a friend and give them five seconds to look it over. Then ask them what significant points they got from it. If they don’t tell you the same thing you wanted the employer to see, re-write it and try again.

Use the same header as your resume for your cover letter so your contact information will be easy for the employer to find. Use the same formatting (e.g. font size and style) for your cover letter as you did your resume, as this makes your marketing messages appear united and consistent. If you are responding to an email or Internet job posting, you can include your cover letter as an attachment, or you can simply cut and paste the appropriate text into the body of the email. Another way to attach your resume and cover letter is to save the cover letter and resume together in one document (either .doc, .docx or .txt). To view a sample cover letter in a new browser window, click the following link: Sample Cover Letter. You'll find additional samples and cover letter templates in under the Forms menu of this website.

 

 

Cover Letters

Key Points

 

 

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