Your Cover Letter

Every resume you submit, should ideally be accompanied by a cover letter, unless the employer stipulates otherwise. Resume cover letters are generally brief and concise, and not at all difficult to compose.

Your cover letter should be addressed to a specific individual, not addressed as 'To whom it may Concern' or 'Dear Sir/Madam'.

That looks unprofessional and suggests a lack of interest in doing things properly.

A good cover letter encourages the recruiter to look at your resume.

If it is a poorly written letter your resume may not even get full consideration. In many cases the cover letter is as important as the resume.

The cover letter should begin with a basic greeting, refer to the company and the position you are applying for, and mention how you found out about the job opportunity.  It should ideally be no more than 2 lines long.

The second paragraph should contain a brief description of your qualifications, why you applied to work for them, and why you consider you are the ideal candidate for the job.

The closing should announce an interest in hearing from them soon, and a thank you for their time.

The important thing about cover letter writing, is to use the minimum number of words to get across the salient points. You may need to rewrite your initial draft several times before you are satisfied with the end result, but you should finish up with a cover letter that has more punch to it.

Cover Letter Checklist

• Keep your cover letter brief and to the point.

• Your cover letter should make the reader want to know a lot more about you and what you can offer the job being advertised.
  
  
• Cover letters that are well written, suggest to the reader that you have a well-organised mind and a clear-cut vision of what you can achieve (for them).
  
  
• Badly written cover letters tend to get trashed, along with your resume.
  
  
• Avoid using generic cover letters and write each cover letter for the specific job you are applying for.

• Show your completed cover letter to someone who has professional experience, but not a work colleague if you want to keep your application confidential. They may spot errors that you were unaware of.