By Peter Newfield – President
of Career-Resumes.com®
THE VALUE OF A COVER
LETTER is the ability to present your intentions, qualifications,
and availability to a prospective employer in a succinct, appealing
format. Your resume can give the nitty-gritty of dates, places of
employment, and education but your cover letter must entice the
reader to take the extra few minutes to consider you when faced
with hundreds and thousands of candidates for any one job opening.
The cover letter is your first chance to make a great impression
– a personalized letter indicates you are serious about your
job search.
I. Do you really need
a cover letter? You bet! Just as you would never just show
up unannounced at a prospective employer’s door, your resume
should never just appear solo on a decision-maker’s desk.
Your cover letter is your first opportunity to introduce yourself,
present your qualifications, and interest the search committee as
a potential candidate for the advertised position.
II. Personalize it
to the company - Sure, you could save time and effort by
reproducing a “canned” cover letter and hope for the
best. Instead, take a few minutes to personalize your cover letter
to demonstrate your commitment to the job search effort and show
that you are really serious about working for the companies you
are contacting. State the reason that you are interested in working
for that particular company. Address the cover letter to a specific
individual whenever possible.
III. Why are you sending
your resume and cover letter? Cover letters should be clear
and to the point. Include the specific job title, 2-3 reasons why
your experience makes a good fit, and a brief outline of career
highlights.
IV. Highlight your
strengths! You may be a great person and never call in sick
but prospective employers really want to know why they should consider
you for this position. Brag a little! Give a few facts, list relevant
skills, and state accomplishments on your present or most recent
jobs that will be impressive. Increased widget sales by 93%? Negotiate
new financial leases/loans? Implement new training programs which
reduced staff turnover by 15%?
V. State your intentions
and qualifications right up front! If you expect a senior
personnel manager or recruiter to wade through a mish-mash of information
on your cover letter before understanding why you are sending your
resume, chances are, it will never happen.
VI. What makes you
different? Emphasize your skills, talents, and experiences
to show how you would be a valuable addition to the team. If you
have relevant volunteer or professional experience include it briefly
in your cover letter. Example: An accountant who serves as volunteer
Treasurer for a non-profit health community organization; an international
sales rep who has lived in Europe and Asia and speaks several languages.VII.
No negative information! Never include personality conflicts with
previous employers, pending litigation suits, or sarcastic remarks
in your cover letter. If you are bad-mouthing your present place
of employment, interviewers will feel uneasy and may relegate your
resume to the circular file.
VIII. When to include
salary/relocation information - Rule of thumb is to always
include salary requirements and/or salary history in the cover letter
if a prospective employer requests it. To eliminate this information
from your cover letter may justify your resume getting tossed out.
Never include salary and relocation information on your resume,
only address this information in your cover letter.
IX. How are you prepared
to proceed? Take a pro-active approach in your cover letter.
State the fact that you are available for a personal interview;
give your home, work, e-mail, and/or cell phone numbers where you
can be reached; note that you will follow up by phone (where possible)
to provide any additional information required.
X. Be direct! A
professionally written cover letter and resume can open the doors
to your next position on the corporate ladder, as well as a new
career in a different field. A clean, error-free presentation combined
with strong phrasing and solid facts will encourage the reader to
review the attached resume and call you in for an interview. A winning
cover letter is your calling card to a new opportunity.
For a free critique/price quote, email Career Resumes® at Peter@career-resumes.com.
Peter Newfield is President of Career-Resumes.com®,
one of the premier resume writing services in the United States.
He is The Resume Expert for BlueSteps.com, ExecutiveRegistry.com,
NETSHARE.com, DirectEmployer.com and the former Resume Expert for
Monster.com, Spencer Stuart Talent Network and the Career Center on AOL. View samples at: www.career-resumes.com
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