Cover Letter Tips

Why are cover letters so important? They provide the prospective employer with a brief review of your skills and abilities – but they are less formal than a resume. In fact, they may point to things that are in your resume or they may highlight qualities you posses that the resume just isn't able to convey.

The best news is that writing one it isn't that hard.

So, how do you write a great cover letter?

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer excited about the resume. It is a sales tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. You know how to sell, so put it to good use by highlighting your accomplishments. The employer will naturally want to know more about what you have to offer.

Map out the information you want to place in each section, then go back through and fine tune it. Don't try to write brilliantly from the salutation to the signature in the first draft. Revise it each time you go through it.

What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer pick up the phone and call you for an interview? Oh, and that brings up the point that you need to make sure all of your contact information is included in the cover letter as well as on the resume. You never know when someone is going to lose one of those precious pieces of paper.

An outstanding cover letter is also tailored to the employer's needs. If the ad you read states that the employer is looking for someone with three years of managerial experience, then you need to include something in your cover letter that states you have managerial experience. If you do not have that much experience, show the employer how much you have learned and how quickly you learned it. Let the employer know that you are determined to be successful. This is especially important if you are still in school or have recently graduated from school.

A cover letter isn't likely to persuade an employer to grant you an interview on its own, but it is part of the whole package that WILL encourage an employer to want to get to know you better. Make it an exciting and enjoyable read and you will find yourself being offered the next Sales position for which you apply.

Read more about cover letters here: Cover Letters