Creating the Ideal Cover Letter

A resume is the cornerstone to highlighting your career and accomplishments. It is a very important document that is designed to get you an interview for a job you apply for. Most people in the workplace are well aware of how important a thorough and effective resume is. Many people spend hours toiling over ensuring they have the perfect resume. Unfortunately, though, many of those same people rush through creating a cover letter when sending out their resume to prospective employers or they use a form letter to introduce themselves to the hiring manager. What those people do not know, though, is how important creating the ideal cover letter actually is in the job search process.

A survey was conducted by The Society for Human Resource Management regarding cover letters and what role they play in deciding a person's potential as a new hire. Three out of four employers surveyed cited that if they receive a cover letter of poor quality that it will affect whether or not to continue with the process and that it is a factor in deciding among possible candidates. Fourteen percent indicated that a candidate was eliminated outright from a poor cover letter and only a small percentage will ignore the cover letter entirely when hiring. This is a good indication of the importance of not only having a cover letter to accompany a resume but making sure it is an effective and compelling one as well.

Remember that when you send a cover letter by postal mail, fax or email, that this is the opportunity to make a good first impression. Because a cover letter is in fact a letter, you can write things that are inappropriate to add in a resume. You can expand on some key points, highlight your knowledge of the industry and express your interest in the particular company and position for which you are applying. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to immediately do four things:


1. Expand on key points shown within your resume that will directly impact the position for which you are applying in a positive manner.
2. Explain in greater detail advantages for hiring you. You get to market your skills to a potential employer by citing how particular skills garnered results in previous employment and illustrate how those could impact the current position.
3. You can show you are detail oriented and thorough by touching on points regarding the specifics of the company, the position and the goals to show you researched the company before applying.
4. You get to demonstrate how you are articulate and professional when it comes to communication skills, something that is very useful when dealing with peers and customers alike.



To create the ideal cover letter you must tailor it to the specific job for which you are applying. Do not use a form letter no matter how tempting it may be. You should be aware that most employers prefer to receive resumes and cover letters via email nowadays, though some still prefer postal mail or fax. Find out which method is preferred and use it. Make sure the cover letter uses standard business letter protocol and is neat, typed in a standard, easy to read font. Proofread your cover letter thoroughly to check for spelling or grammar errors. It is advisable to get another pair of eyes to check it also if possible.


Source: http://ezinearticles.com/