Almost all jobseekers are well aware of the importance of a resume when seeking a professional opinion, but few are aware of the vital role a cover letter plays in the selection process. In fact, your cover letter is just as important to your job search as your resume.
Consider this: recruiters and managers often receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for each available position. With so many applicants to review, interviewers don't have much time to determine whether you're qualified for the job. In fact, a recruiter will typically spend one to two minutes skimming your resume, which is barely enough time to thoroughly examine whether your skills and experience are a good fit for the position.
This is why a cover letter is such an essential tool in the job search process. The purpose of a cover letter is to clearly communicate your interest and qualifications for the position to a potential employer. So while a resume is a general advertisement, your cover letter will tailor your application to each specific job. By summarizing your resume and highlighting the most important areas of your experience to the recruiter, you will help the recruiter match your qualifications with those of the open position. And by taking the guesswork out of your resume, you'll greatly increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
A cover letter must "sell" your qualifications to a complete stranger and convince them that you deserve a personal meeting. Therefore, as you can imagine, it is not easy to write a document. However, there are some guidelines that should help you in the process of creating a cover letter.
A cover letter is usually less than one page in length and has four main sections: an introduction, highlighting your qualifications, a summary of why you are interested in the position, and a closing follow-up. But before you start listing off a litany of skills, it's important to do some research on the company and the position you're applying for to better understand the company's products or services, history, values, and target customer market. This will help you get a better idea of what recruiters are likely to be looking for in a candidate and allow you to tailor your cover letter to specifically address those areas.
Part 1 – Introduction:
Your cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager whenever possible.
Please be specific about the positions you are looking for,
Let the recruiter know how you found out about the position. If you have seen a position advertised or have been referred by someone, be sure to include this information.
Grab your readers' attention and get them interested in you!
Part 2 - Summary of your qualifications:
Highlight your strongest qualifications for the position you are seeking. Be sure to limit your qualifications to only those that are most relevant to the position.
Demonstrate, rather than simply tell the manager, your qualifications by giving specific, credible examples from your experience.
Quantify these qualifications whenever possible and focus on relevant numbers, projects, awards and equipment/software/tools you've used that are relevant to the job you want. For example, instead of highlighting your "excellent customer service skills," it means that you "achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rating" or "increased department revenue by 25% in the first quarter."
Part 3 – Why you are interested in the position:
Let the recruiter know why you want to work for their company. What does the company appeal to you?
Why is this particular position appealing to you?
State why you are a good fit for the company. How will he benefit the team?
Part 4 – Conclusion and Continuation:
Refer employers to your attached resume, so they can check your qualifications in more detail.
Request a personal interview or meeting with a hiring manager.
Specify how the recruiter should contact you. Be sure to include a working phone number or email address.
Set a time to continue. For example, say that you will "call to follow up on Monday afternoon."
I thank the reader for his time.
One final note: Your cover letter is the first impression recruiters get of you. A strongly focused cover letter can convey a strong, positive first impression. However, a weak, unfocused letter can kill any interest a recruiter may have in your qualifications, no matter how well suited you are to the position. Before sending any correspondence, please ensure that you have carefully corrected grammatical and typographical errors.
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