Tuesday 1 November 2011

Resume Cover Letter

Writing a Good Resume Cover Letter
Cover letters are just as import, or more important than the resume themselves. Your cover letter is taking out all your best characteristics and skills from your resume and putting them into a document to entice the prospective employer. The cover letter leads the employer to your resume, and then to deciding if you are going to make in onto the shortlist of prospective employees.

 
The cover letter is built on top of the resume, and being built it leads the employer to your resume. The goal of the cover letter is to get the employer excited about your resume. In essence, your cover letter is a salesman for your resume. It should let the employer know that you are special compared to all other applications, but try not to sound cocky. Try and address the cover letter to the actual person who will be reading it, not just "Dear Sir/Madam". It may take a bit of research, for example phones calls or looking on their website, but it often can be done.

You should keep you cover letter to a one page maximum. A cover letter should be around three or four paragraphs, starting with the opening paragraph. The opening paragraph gives the basics of what you are writing about. It should include which job you are applying for, the place that you heard about the job, and who you are personally.

The middle paragraph, or paragraphs, is where you must describe your relevant qualifications to the job you are applying for. Explain why you are a perfect fit for the job. Tell the employer what you can do for their organization, but don't talk about what they will do for you. Highlight how you have the right work ethic and attitude to be the perfect candidate for the job. It is also good to show that you know something about the organization. For example if it was a car company you could write "I find it a pleasure to see your newest car model on the roads, and am pleased with the way that you treat environmental issues."

The closing paragraph shouldn't actually be too closing. Make a note of any attachments there are such as your resume. You should be confident in saying things such as "I hope to hear from you soon" and also thank them for their time and consideration in looking at your application.

Remember when you have finished writing your cover letter to edit and proofread it. It is often an excellent idea to get a friend or family member to read over the cover letter. This is the first contact that you will ever have with you potential employer, so try and make first impressions last.

You can see some resume examples and resume cover letters having some very good resume cover letters for various jobs.

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