Success Strategies for Resume Cover Letters

November 9th, 2009

Resume cover letters are often just dashed off in a hurry, yet these are just as important as your resume, if not more. Why? Because you can think of them like the covers of books. And people do not generally open up books that do not have appealing covers.

Your cover letter is like that proverbial book cover. When you send your resume out, the person who receives it will often take at least a cursory glance over your cover letter. This is your chance to give them a reason to want to know more about you. It is your chance to show why the book should be opened up.

You should write a different cover letter for every position. If a name is listed in the advertisement, use it. Never use a generic Dear Sir or Madam when you can address the letter specifically.

As you are writing your cover letter, refer back to the description in the job opening. You want to show that you have read the advertisement carefully and are writing the letter just for that position. Indicate where you saw the ad posted. Repeat phrases that were in the ad (but not too many). Again, you want to indicate that you are conscious of what they are looking for in a prospective applicant. So, if the ad says you need to be detail oriented, go ahead and say that this is one of your skills.

However, you cannot just state a skill such as being detail oriented. You need to give an example from your resume that shows this. Let the reader know they will note in your resume that you held a proofreading position for several years, for example.

Express interest in both the position and the industry that it is in. Give reasons why this position excites you. Again, give specific examples of why they should be interested in you. You do not want to duplicate your resume in your cover letter, just highlight key experience that fits as closely as possible with the position in the ad.

End your letter with confidence, stating that you are looking forward to hearing from them and discussing how you can help the company. Be sure to express appreciation for their consideration.

Always proofread both resume and letter very thoroughly for both spelling and grammar. It is never a bad idea to have someone you trust give them a quick read as well. Cover letters with poor grammar and misspellings make it seem as if the position is not important to you. If you are so careless in the beginning, how will you be when you are actually employed?

As with any first impression, you only have the opportunity for one. And resume cover letters are just that, they form the first impression that a potential employer will have of you. However, with the guidelines above, there is a good chance that your first impression will be successful and, especially if your resume is just as good, you will be asked in for an interview.

Working on creating a successful cover letter stop at http://www.job-cover-letters.com/2009/10/tips-for-writing-a-successful-cover-letter/ today. Polish up your resume cover letters and get interviews. All it takes is a visit to http://www.job-cover-letters.com.

Entry Filed under: Career