How
to Write Cover Letter & Sample |
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The cover letter
serves as an introduction to your unique talents, so
that you can market yourself to the company, and most
importantly, the person screening the resumes. One should
adhere to a business writing format and write in such
a way that the reader’s attention is drawn to
what you have to offer the company. Simply writing down
“my career is... and I have this knowledge and
these skills...” will not differentiate you from
other candidates at all. You need to further elaborate
and explain how you would like to utilize your career
and your abilities to enhance the productiveness of
the company you are applying to. Here, you have to be
conscientious and your introduction should not be overly
one-sided or aggressive. Keep in mind that the purpose
of the cover letter is to win an appointment for the
interview. It is important to make the Hiring Executive
interested in meeting with you. Also, be sure to mention
in the beginning, how you learned about the opportunity,
(i.e., name of acquaintance, or name of publication).
Though some points may be repeated
many times in the cover letter, more abilities for writing,
editing and expression are required, instead of simply
itemizing your accomplishments. A cover letter can be
seen as a communication method to provide some personal
information that cannot be conveyed by a resume. Some
companies and positions posted in the newspaper do not
require a cover letter, however, it is a fact that the
impression given to the Hiring Manager if you provide
a cover letter is far better. The lack of a cover letter
sometimes indicates that the candidate has been sending
out mass resumes and has not really “paid attention”
to what he/she is applying for, in the hopes of getting
a job anywhere. Your cover letter will prove that you
are actually interested in the position. When you begin
writing, be certain to include the name of recipient.
This improves the chances for the letter to get to the
proper contact person. You may put “Dear Sir or
Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern”,
only when you do not know the name of the HR manager.
The main body of the letter should
be kept around three paragraphs, no more than four paragraphs.
Excessively long sentences can be nothing but cumbersome
to the HR manager. Since HR managers can only go through
so many applicants a day, the time spent on each letter
is limited. The point is how effectively one can convey
their talents and ideas. One can certainly purchase
and utilize some manuals at a bookstore, but it is also
necessary to be creative on your own. Simply copying
the cover letter format from other sources, is less
likely to be considered as “prepared with good
faith” or personal enough.
One other important point
for the cover letter, is punctuation and grammar. If
you say you have excellent communications and writing
skills, but your cover letter is riddled with misspellings,
typos and bad sentence structure, it is very doubtful
that your resume will even be looked at. A lot is determined
about you through the cover letter, in a short time,
SO MAKE IT GOOD!
Cover
Letter Sample
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