According to a recent survey, thirty-Nine percent (39%) of companies eliminated candidates from consideration simply because they failed to include a cover letter*. Failing to prepare a short cover letter could make sending your resume to a company a total waste of your time and effort. The cover letter is important!

According to The Ladders.com, While the vast majority of recruiters agree that the cover letter is essential, selecting the right information to include in that letter can mean the difference between getting an interview and falling to the bottom of the pile. TheLadders.com resume team has outlined the essential criteria for the perfect cover letter:

Get Their Attention -- A cover letter must grab a reader's attention in a split-second with a succinct message that convinces them to read further. Wendy Enelow, author, executive resume writer and training consultant to TheLadders.com, adds the following, "Start your cover letter with your one WOW achievement or qualification or career success to immediately capture your reader's interest and attention."

Less is More -- A good cover letter should clearly convey the "who," "what," "when," "where" and "why" in the first paragraph and be no longer than three or four total paragraphs. Enelow adds, "If you're using bulleted statements in your cover letter to highlight specific achievements, qualifications or experiences, be certain to only use 4-6 and then leave a bit of white space in between each to enhance the readability of the document."

Prove Relevance -- Job seekers should mine the job posting and company Web site for the specific words and clues to what the employer is looking for in a candidate and use those words in the cover letter.

Turn Negatives Into Positives -- The cover letter is where you can explain unique situations before they are red flagged on your resume.

Paste and Attach -- If you are applying via e-mail, cut and paste the cover letter to make it your e-mail message and attach it.

"Just as your resume is a career marketing tool, so is your cover letter," said Enelow. "Take the time that is necessary to craft a letter that is powerful and persuasive with an immediate call to action -- to invite you for an interview."

When sending your resume out to a prospective employer, remember that you need a cover letter that helps guide the reader to key facts in your resume. We strongly agree with the following tips provided by Jennifer Iuvone, M.Ed.- Luvone is an expert on how to write a professional cover letter:

If I were to break a cover letter down into three things, here's what I came up with:

• The position you're applying for
• A summary of your qualifications for the job
• Why you are interested in that job with that particular company.

But that's just the basics. You want your cover letter to have a purpose (worth their time to read), and make you stand out.

Here is the biggest mistake I think people make on cover letters: Sending one as a formality (this is what most people do). Who wants to waste their time reading a standard form letter that doesn't tell you anything about the person?

You have to think about it this way- you're writing a LETTER to a PERSON explaining to them why you're interested in a job, and why they should be interested in you. If you think about it this way, you're letter will automatically be more interesting. You also have to know what your letter will be used for. Most busy hiring managers won't even look at your letter until after they've at least skimmed your resume (they don't have time). If they look at your resume and are still interested in you, they might read your letter for more information, or to answer questions they have about you, like "Why does he want this job?"

Here is the basic formula I recommend for people who haven't yet developed their own cover letter style:

Paragraph 1: State why you're writing the letter. (position you're applying for, and an overview of the contents of the rest of your letter)

Paragraph 2: Describe why you're qualified. (Give an overview of the highlights from your resume, and explain how these have prepared you for the job you're applying for.)

Paragraph 3: Provide supplemental information. (Make it interesting. Examples of topics- why you want the job, why you chose this career, your philosophy relating to that profession, how you would go about doing a certain aspect of the job, etc.)

Paragraph 4: Sum it all up. (Conclude, express your interest in an interview, thank them for their time and consideration.)

Jennifer Iuvone, M.Ed.
Career Counselor, Boise State University

Jennifer's Website for resumes and cover letters is: http://www.thebigresumesecret.com

*The survey revealing 39% rejection was conducted online within the U.S. by ResearchNow on behalf of TheLadders.com among 500 recruitment professionals. The survey was conducted from April 8 through April 23, 2009.

 

If you would like assistance on any topic covered on the site, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. My e-mail address is inquiry@mywritingresources.com.

Writing/editing services are also available at a reasonable price.