Writing an Effective Cover Letter

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Writing an excellent cover letter is an important part of the resume writing process however it is only effective if it reaches the correct target.

Failing to get a contact name more or less ensures that your resume will end up as junk mail or worse at the bottom of a pile of resumes and cover letters on a desk within the personnel department where it will remain unseen and untouched.

Your cover letter is the personalizing factor in the presentation of your job application and resume details.

A good cover letter will set the stage for the reader to pay your resume the attention it deserves.

The first thing you must do with your cover letter is to find an individual to whom you can address it.

This will demonstrate your focus and enthusiasm as well as guaranteeing that a specific individual will receive, open and read it.

It also means that when you make your follow up call or write your follow up letter once again you have the contact name to allow you to do this, a very important point when you are seeking that interview.

Your cover letter must make an immediate impact on sight. While it will not get you the job on its own merit, it will ensure that your resume receives serious attention.

You should approach the writing of your cover letter with the same attention to detail, as you will your resume.

It should have a formal and clear tone, be easy to read and perfectly punctuated and checked for grammatical errors.

Remember that simple mistakes at this stage can destroy your chances of being seen as a serious candidate.

Source: http://www.freeresumeexamples.net