Always include a Cover Letter with your job application

The Cover Letter is an accompanying letter that introduces you and your résumé to a potential employer – you are advised to send a cover letter with  each résumé you send out.

Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, it is essential that you devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters.

This is your way to introduce yourself to recruiters / prospective employers and to indicate your interest in the opening.   The Cover Letter is  your opportunity to differentiate yourself from other job seekers.

Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters to screen applicants who are not sufficiently interested in their position or who lack the required writing skills.

Key Points:

• You should send a cover letter with every resume you submit.
• A cover letter should not be longer than one page in length and contain 2 to 3 short paragraphs.
• A cover letter demonstrates your writing and professional communication skills;  it shows that you have done research about the field and the employer; it summarizes your skills and training relative to the job and it communicates your enthusiasm for the job and the employer.
• A cover letter is a chance to make the prospective employer want to review your resume and to interview you.

Elements of a cover letter:

• Contact information
• Today’s date
• Inside address ad subject line
• Salutation
• Body
• Close
• Signature

Three types of cover letters:

• application letter which responds to a known job opening
• prospecting letter which inquires about possible positions
• networking letter which requests information and assistance in your job search

Writing a cover letter often seems like a challenge … here is where you can get help; check this site for sample cover letters and other valuable information about cover letters:  http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverletters/a/aa030401a.htm

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5 Simple Steps to a Successful Cover Letter

Most job seekers concentrate on a carefully worded, customized resume that conveys their talents and

breadth of experience. Remember to include a cover letter with your application:  If your resume  gets you in the door, your cover letter is what prompts employers to answer that door in the first place.   Read an easy-to-follow, five-step formula for cover letter success.

1. Cut to the chase…
Applicants should clearly identify why they’re reaching out to a company. “Start by completing the statement, ‘I am writing to you today because….’” Cover all pertinent facts, such as the position’s title and location. Also, “Where did you see the ad for the position, or who recommended you? Include that information up front.”

2. What I like about you…
Flattery will get you everywhere. “Next, complete the statement ‘I like your company because….’ Compliment the organization on what they have done right and what you admire about them. This will show that you’ve taken the time to get to know the company in detail.

3. What you’ll like about me…
List your most vital qualifications up front. ‘Here are relevant examples of work that I’ve done that match what you’re looking for.’” Briefly discuss the items you want to showcase so a hiring manager can spot them easily. “Bullet points work well in making your accomplishments easy to read.”

4. What else you’ll like about me…
Succinctly, personalize your letter. “Describe who you are and what makes you stand out from other applicants. Discuss your soft skills and strengths and what you’re passionate about professionally,” Research the company’s mission statement to see if your values match up and use similar language. “This is your last chance to say, ‘Here’s why I am a good candidate.’”

5. And in conclusion…
In your closing paragraph, express your enthusiasm for a position and an interview and to include a plan of action. “Make note of your contact information and state what the next steps will be. If you will wait for their reply, tell them that. If you will be following up, tell them when they can expect to hear from you,”  Don’t drop the ball on your first promise to a potential employer. “Whatever you put down, make sure you do what you say you will do.

Source: Deborah Brown­Volkman, Job-search expert
http://www.surpassyourdreams.com/

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5 Recruiters from the The Recruiter Roundtable answer the question:  How important are cover letters in your decision to interview a candidate?

Use It Strategically
My belief is that as long as a candidate meets the obvious basic criteria for a specific position, a well-articulated
cover letter will only enhance their chances. A cover letter can also be useful to tackle an obvious weakness relative
to an advertised role, usually a credential that is “required” (e.g., CPA or MBA) by pointing to equivalent training or
experience. Overall I am a supporter.
– Anu Datta, executive recruiter, Korn/Ferry, San Francisco

Channel the Effort Elsewhere
Unless the job seeker is making a significant career change (i.e. different field) or is a fresh college graduate, I rarely
look at a cover letter. It may be necessary to explain your position and bridge your experience to the position of
which you are applying. Resumes are typically scanned and cover letters skipped over completely in evaluating
potential candidates for first-round interviews, so it is advisable to either say what you must in the body of the email
with a resume attached, or customize your resume toward each and every position you seek.
– Lindsay Olson, partner, Paradigm Staffing

Say Something New
If  like someone’s resume for a specific position, then I read the cover letter. Mistakes or typos in a cover letter have
an impact on my impression of the candidate; I recommend getting a second set of eyes to review any cover letter.
Cover letters tend to be fairly similar, so take up the challenge of making yours stand out. Tell me something about
your professional history that I would never know from your resume — HOW you lead a team to success on a
project, for example.
– Ross Pasquale, owner, Monday Ventures

It’s All About the Resume
About 75 percent of the job seekers that have applied online for positions I manage do not attach a cover letter.
What does that mean for me? I make most of my decisions to schedule an interview based strictly on resumes. When
a job seeker includes a cover letter, I reward their effort by contacting them to thank them for their interest whether
or not it leads to an interview. Who knows where that interaction might lead?
– Cheryl Blackman,  Wells Fargo recruiter

Yes, They Make a Difference
A good cover letter — one that captures my attention because it is targeted to the position and highlights specific
areas of expertise that the hiring manager is looking for — can make the difference between whether or not I call
someone for an interview or leave them in the “maybe” file. A great cover letter will persuade me to call you for an
interview even if you may be lacking in some ofthe qualifications needed for the position. A poorly written cover
letter tells me everything I need to know about you; you won’t be called for an interview.
– Cheryl Ferguson, recruiter, The Recruiter’s Studio
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A Cover Letter Is Not Expendable

Cover letters are still necessary, and in a competitive market they can give you a serious edge if they are written and presented effectively.

Cover letters are a graceful way to introduce yourself, to convey your personality and to impress a hiring manager with your experience and your writing skills, said Katy Piotrowski, an author of career books and a career counselor based in Fort Collins, Colo. You can also tailor them to a specific company in ways that you cannot with a résumé.

Q. How should your cover letter be organized, how long should it be, and what should it say?

A. First, do your best to find the decision maker’s name, and use it in the salutation. If you are applying to a blind ad, say “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To the Hiring Manager.” Ms. Piotrowski said she received cover letters that had no salutation at all or began with “Hey there” — not a strong start. If you want to be on the safe side, use a colon after the salutation, although some people now feel it is permissible to use a comma in an e-mail message.

Your cover letter should be short — generally no longer than three or four paragraphs, said Debra Wheatman, a career expert at Vault, a jobs Web site.

In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing — it may be that you are answering an ad, that you were referred to the company through networking, or that you learned that the company is expanding, said Wendy S. Enelow, author of “Cover Letter Magic” and a professional résumé writer in Virginia.

In the middle paragraphs, explain why you are a good candidate, and show that you are knowledgeable about the company. Then convey a clear story about your career, and highlight specific past achievements. This can either be done as a narrative or in bullet points, Ms. Enelow said.

You can also highlight qualities you possess that may not fit the confines of a résumé, Ms. Wheatman said.
She once worked in human resources at Martha Stewart Living, and recalls reviewing applications for a chef in a test kitchen. One woman had a career in manufacturing, but her cover letter described how she had grown up in a family that was passionate about cooking and where she had frequently made meals from scratch. The woman got the job despite her peripheral work experience.

Finish your letter by indicating that you will follow up in the near future (and make good on that promise). Sign off with a “Sincerely,” “Cordially,” “Thank you for your consideration” or similar closer, followed by your name and, if you like, your e-mail address.

Q. Where should your cover letter appear, in an e-mail or in an attachment?

A. You can include your letter in the actual text of your e-mail message or place it above your résumé in an attachment. If you put it in a separate attachment from your résumé, you run the risk that a harried hiring manager will not click on it at all. If you place it in the text of your e-mail message, it should generally be shorter than if you use an attachment, Ms. Enelow said.

Then, if you really want to make an impression, make a hard copy of your cover letter and résumé and send it to the hiring manager by regular mail. Attach a handwritten note that says, “Second submission; I’m very interested,” Ms. Piotrowski said. “I’ve had clients double their rate of interviews simply from doing that,” she said.

Ms. Enelow calls this “double-hitting,” and says she has seen it work remarkably well. She said a senior-level client of hers got an interview and was hired because the hard copy of his cover letter and résumé reached the company president, whereas his electronic application was rejected by someone in human resources because it did not meet certain rigid criteria.

Q. What are some common mistakes in cover letters?

A. A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.

Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: “I did this, I’m looking for, I want to … I, I, I.” Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, Ms. Piotrowski and others said.

Another danger is including too much information — for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements, Ms. Enelow said. It is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description, she said. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview.

Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications, she said. Do not give them that ammunition.