English 9

What is a Cover Letter?

Is a document sent with a resume to provide

additional information on an applicants skills and experiences.

It provides detailed information on why are you

are qualified for the job you are applying for. Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences.

Generally, a well written cover letter should provide answers to what the employers want to know:
Are you the kind of person they are looking for?
Do you have the relevant education, work

experience and skills? Can you handle the work demands, based on the job description? Have you shown a commitment to this particular field of interest? How well can you communicate with others? Are you a team player?

Outline of a Cover Letter

Introduction
Begin by announcing your intention to apply for the position. State where or how you learned of the opening.

Outline of a Cover Letter

Body
Document your qualifications and skills. Enumerate accomplishments, significant work and educational experience in logical order.

Outline of a Cover Letter

Conclusion
Affirm your willingness to be interviewed. Thank the reader for considering your application and ask him to look at your rsum (which should be submitted with the letter) and other valid documents.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is your cover letter addressed to a particular person?
Be sure to cite the name of the hiring official in your

salutation. Dont take the easy way out and write Dear Sir/Madam, Gentlemen, Sirs, Mr. President or worse, To Whom It May Concern. Your letter may just reach a most unconcerned person wholl throw it in the dust bin. If you dont know who to write to, find out through research, networking and even calling the company and making discreet inquiries. Warning: Dont blow it by spelling the name incorrectly.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is it brief and to the point?
Limit your cover letter to one page of up to five

paragraphs at most (each paragraph having from one to three sentences). For brevity and conciseness, use simple language and action verbs. Remove all superfluous words, and be extremely wary about fancy phrases and complex sentence structures if youve not perfected the art of writing. Avoid clichs such as Enclosed please find my resume which just eat space that can be better utilized.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is the opening paragraph an attentiongrabber?
With the mountain of resumes the recruiter has to

dig through, you usually have only 15 seconds to convince him to read through. That said, its important that what you say in your first paragraph should be of great interest to the employer. One way to do this is to highlight your main skills as they apply to the job, or to mention your knowledge of the company and tie this information in with the skills or qualities that make you the perfect candidate.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is your cover letter personalized?
The cover letter is a way to tell the employer you

know what he needs and this is what you can do to fulfill those needs. List the qualifications and requirements posted in the ad and indicate how you meet them. Stress that by hiring you, you believe you can help improve company services, enhance efficiency, or increase productivity. Give concrete examples and instances to prop up your claims.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is the tone positive and confident?
You should never let negative emotions seep

through. The cover letter is not the venue for venting frustrations or expressing bitterness or maligning previous employers. Instead it should emphasize your positive points-your skills, talents, capabilities and experiences as they relate to the position on offer. While you should not overstate your qualities, dont underestimate yourself either. The cover letter is your professional showcase so present yourself the best way you can.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is your cover letter spotless?
Dont just rely on your computers spell checker.

Check and recheck your letter for typos, misspellings, wrong grammar or inappropriate punctuation. If you have the time, set it aside and read it again after a couple of days with refreshed eyes. Request a better writer to critique your letter and catch anything you might have missed. For a professional look, use quality bond paper and letter-quality or laser printer. Avoid dot-matrix printers or manual typewriters.

Checklist for a Successful Cover Letter

Is it proactive?
Since you took the initiative to apply, make sure to follow through. Dont wait for the employer to contact you; state in your letter that you will call within the week--and do so. Include your contact details--phone number, email address, cell phone number--to facilitate communication.

Did you sign it?

Always sign your letter, or the employer may feel slighted that you forgot to affix your personal signature or may assume its a form letter. If possible, use a sign pen.

Dos and donts of cover letter writing:

DO - keep your cover letter to one page. Any longer,

and it may end up inspiring the employer to stop reading and even to skip reading the attached resume all together.
DO - include career successes. Examples make your

experience stand out.

DO - address the cover letter to the Human Resources

Manager by name if possible. The more the letter seems personalized and less like a mass mail-out, the better chance it will have to be read by the right person.

Dos and donts of cover letter writing:

DO - try to imagine what the employer would like to

hear about how you can contribute to the company right away and help the company realize its goals.
DO - provide a sampling of your greatest workplace

accomplishments. Try to include statistics and measurable results to document your successes.
DO - If you are in a technical industry, list a few of the

technical programs that you specialize in. This helps the employer understand your strengths as a potential employee.

Dos and donts of cover letter writing:

DO NOT include any personal information such as

photographs, your health status, marital status, religion or your birth date. This is not necessary in America, and in some US States such information opens your potential employer to possible discrimination lawsuits.
DO NOT state that you would like to immigrate, come

to the USA on a work permit (if this is applicable), or that you are a new immigrant. This is personal information that will NOT secure you a job. You want your resume and cover letter to be judged on your employment merits only.

Dos and donts of cover letter writing:

DO NOT state salary expectations or your

previous salaries. This delicate issue can and will be discussed at a job interview later on.
DO NOT state what you expect from the

company and the position. You are first trying to impress the employer with your skill set and gain their interest. Your demands can be addressed in formed questions to the employer later in the job interview process.

Dos and donts of cover letter writing:

DO NOT use the same information in your

cover letter as your resume. This is tricky, but worth the effort. This will ensure that you keep the reader's interest. No one wants to read the same information twice. Try to re-phrase or sum up the work experiences you have had using different terms or descriptions.
DO NOT include personality profiles or

overviews. The employer will learn about your personal traits during the interview.