The
cover letter should be used as an introduction to a potential
employer. A cover letter should emphasize your special skills,
experiences and accomplishments. A cover letter may be used to
augment or add to those skills and professional experiences that are
already outlined in the resume. Other notable skills and
expertise that are not specifically detailed in the resume could be
mentioned in the cover letter as well.
A cover letter serves the purpose of
making a more personal presentation of you to a perspective employer.
Consult with Houston Job Search to help you write a solid cover
letter.
A good cover letter should be no more
than a page long and should eloquently state your case about why you
are the best candidate for the job. While you may have all the
requirements to fill a particular position, your cover letter is a
failure if the prospective employer does not come to the conclusion
that you are the perfect candidate. Write a strong cover letter so
that your resume ends up in the "consider file" NOT the "reject file"
and this can take less than thirty seconds!
Write a resume cover
letter.
Who needs to write a resume cover letter?
Everyone who sends out a resume does! Recruiters and hiring managers
often use cover letters as a way to determine their interest in a
candidate. If you are sending your resume to a prospective employer,
you need to include a separate one-page cover letter. Write a resume
cover letter that is tailored to each specific company. Write a
resume cover letter and it gives you another chance to emphasize what
you have to contribute to the company or organization. Your resume
will also answer that question but in a somewhat more rigid format
Write a resume cover letter that:
- indicates your interest in a
particular company or position,
- summarizes the most important
aspects of your education and experience,
- contact information for the
prospective interview is supplied.
Houston Job Search will help you write
a resume cover letter and give you more information about effective
cover letters.
To write a resume cover letter - pay attention to the following
criteria:
- Not even one spelling or typing
error when you write a resume cover letter
- Write a resume cover letter and
address it to the appropriate person making the hiring decision. Be
sure the name is spelled correctly and the title is correct. A
touch of formality is good too: address the person as "Mr.," "Ms.,"
"Mrs.," "Miss," "Dr.," or "Professor."
- Write a resume cover letter in your
own words – do not plagiarize. Employers are looking for knowledge,
enthusiasm, focus.
- Being "natural" makes many people
nervous when they write a resume cover letter. And then even more
nervous because they are trying to avoid spelling errors and
grammatical mistakes.
- When you write a resume cover
letter - research the industry and especially the company. You know
who they are, understand what they do and they are your choice!
- Use terms and phrases when you
write a resume cover letter that are meaningful to the employer. If
you are applying for an advertised position, use the requirements
in the ad and put them in BOLD type. For example: the ad
says - "2 years' experience processing magnetic media (cartridge,
tape, disc); interface with benefit plan design, contracts and
claims; and business background with strong analytical & technical
skills--dBase, Excel, R&R, SQL."
Make sure when you write a resume cover letter that it contains
each of these requirements.
When should you take the time to send
correspondence through the regular mail?
- When sending thank-you letters.
You can write a longer letter re-emphasizing relevant points
from your interview and restating your qualifications as they
relate to the needs discussed during your meeting.
- If you’re a senior executive.
Traditional mailed correspondence is still the recommended approach
for senior-level executives, excepting those in high-tech fields.
- When the company and industry
are low-tech. If e-mail isn’t a well-accepted mode of
communication for your prospective employer, you’re better off
using traditional methods.
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Example of
resume cover letter:
JANE J. DOE
October 1, 2001
2345 S. Main Street,
Suite 231
Anytown, MA 77456
phone: 777.852.963
e-mail: jane@janedoe.com
Attn: John Smith, Human Resources
Re: Director of Client Financial Services
Cambridge
Children's Hospital
P. O. Box 5555
Philadelphia, PAZ 19001
Dear Mr. John Smith:
I was very interested to see
your advertisement for a Director of Client Financial Services in the
Philadelphia Observer (8-11-01). I have been seeking just
such an opportunity as this, and I think my background and your
requirements may be a good match. My resume is enclosed for your
review.
Of particular note for you
and the team members as you consider this placement are my strong
accomplishments in reducing outstanding balances and
reorganizing accounting functions to achieve
improved internal operating efficiency and improved cashflow
throughout.
Consider the following:
-
Reduced
A/R days from 110 to 58.9.
-
Reduced
staff by 7.5 FTEs with concurrent increase in total departmental
performance.
-
Reduced
patients complaints
-
Improved
cashflow by $2.3 million monthly.
Additionally, my
contributions have been achieved through improved information flow
within the patient financial services function, improving patient
financial services utilization of available MIS services, and
improving cooperation between patient services and the admissions
desk, UR and medical records functions.
After 10 years in client
accounting, I have a varied understanding of every department
concerned with this function in a modern medical center setting. My
current employer is delighted with my performance, but I view myself
as a troubleshooter as well, and most of the reorganizations
initiated here have come to fruition, so I am eager to consider new
ventures and challenges.
If you are seeking a manager
who stays abreast of her field, who is technically informed, who
earns major staff support, and who is committed to achieve total
success, please consider what I have to offer.
Thank you for your attention
to these materials. I certainly look forward to exploring this
further.
Yours truly,
Jane J. Doe
Enclosure
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E-mail resume cover letters:
If using an e-mail format
when you write a resume cover letter – Keep it short. Make it direct,
efficiently and clearly communicating what you're looking for. As you
write the resume cover letter, briefly summarize your key skills and
experience. A well-written e-mail cover letter will prompt a
recruiter to take the time to read your resume. A lengthy, vague or
non-specific letter when you write the resume cover letter will cause
a recruiter to lose interest.
-
When you write
the resume e-mail cover letter tailor your message to the employer's
needs.
-
Put specifics in your
subject line when you write the resume cover letter.
-
Use your spell check
when you write the resume cover letter and proofread your
correspondence.
-
Before you say thank
you by e-mail, consider your audience in your decision to write the
resume cover letter.
The medium you choose
when you write the resume cover letter must be a good fit for the
intended reader. In general, use e-mail when:
-
Speed is of the essence
when you write the resume cover letter.
-
You need to demonstrate
technology skills as you write the resume cover letter.
-
You’re contacting a
high-tech company when you write the resume cover letter.
-
Write the resume cover
letter when you’re communicating with recruiters.
A Houston candidate for a
social service agency, took this route to write the resume cover
letter when she was looking for a job at a high-growth technology
company. As a candidate for a master’s degree in human-resources
development, she found it nearly effortless to find a variety of ads
for positions that matched her career goals as she cruised the job
boards each evening in her pajamas. She kept a basic cover letter
template saved on her computer and adapted it for each posting she
targeted. See below.
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top
Sample
e-mail cover letter:
The Education Consultant position posted on ss.com presents exciting
opportunities to contribute to the continued growth and success of
Sypher Systems and its associates.
I offer strong qualifications in instructional design and training as
a teacher and training specialist. Currently, I am in charge of all
training programs for 500 employees. I have developed training
programs and created cross-functional teams to guide training
decisions.
I anticipate completing my master’s degree in HRD at XYZ University
in May 2002. This program includes in-depth training in adult
learning, organizational dynamics, team-building and change
management.
Sypher Systems’ reputation is closely aligned with my own
professional and personal commitment to excellence. This commitment
has driven me to create innovative programs, and I am excited about
tackling new professional challenges.
May we schedule a time to explore what I can bring to Sypher Systems?
Sincerely,
Aimee Grant
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