A cover letter is your personal sales tool.  Use the cover letter to catch the prospective employer’s attention.  Your resume is in a pile of hundreds of resumes, you’ve got to be among the few selected.  A good cover letter may help.

You need to get an edge

You have the reader's attention for about 10 seconds.  Be positive, confident and assured.  Include one or two essential pieces of information that may not be apparent in the resume.

Any edge you can get

In many cases, your cover letter will be discarded or ignored. Do it anyway. 

It might make a difference

 Create a Professional Letterhead

You need stationary with a professional letterhead.  No need to get it professionally designed.  Any word processor on a PC with an inkjet or laser printer can turn out a remarkably Professional Quality Letterhead in a matter of minutes.

Personalize it but keep it professional

Select a high quality paper (vellum, bond).  It will be in someone's hands, they will feel the difference.  It may help you stand out from the crowd.

 Writing the Cover Letter

Write the cover letter in clear, concise, plain English.  Say everything you need to say in the fewest possible words.

Tailor your cover letter to the needs of the employer and the job

Use our list of Power Words to amplify your most relevant accomplishments and skills.

Opening Paragraph

State the main reason for hiring you.

Second Paragraph

Describe one key achievement and the benefit it brought to your current or previous employer.

Final Paragraph

Suggest a date for an interview or say you will call in a few days to arrange an interview.

Concluding Matter

Use the business writing convention of Enclosed: Resume, below the text, to show you have attached your resume.  It's too early in the selection process to include examples of your work or references.  Wait until they are requested.

Proofread carefully

Re-read it and edit it.  Don't let a simple error slip through.

 Follow-up Letter

If you think the interview went well, send a follow-up letter.  It allows you to add to the talking points in the interview and shows your continued interest.  If you're one of the final candidates for the job, a follow-up letter could be the difference between rejection and success.

Some people follow up their interview by calling the employer if they have not had a reply in a reasonable amount of time.  It also applies pressure and some employers pull your résumé from the pile and toss it.  They have the right.

Keep at it, persistence pays off

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