Cover Letter

[Darrell]

When I went through TAP before separating from the Air Force they taught me all kinds of great things about resumes, job interviews, etc.

However they didn't teach me about cover letters.

What is a cover letter? How do I make one?

I've looked at a few examples from Google, but I don't see the point. They basically seem to underline some qualifications you mention on the resume.

It's redundant. Please help. :D

[pnoon]

Think of it as your intro post in a forum.

A cover letter should catch the attention of the reader (person screening the resumes) and give them a reason to review and take a closer look at your resume. It is much like the handshake when introduced to someone.

Redundant? Not at all. It is a critical piece of the application process.

How do you make one? You put your fingers on the keyboard and press the little letters to make words. ;)

[Darrell]

Think of it as your intro post in a forum.

A cover letter should catch the attention of the reader (person screening the resumes) and give them a reason to review and take a closer look at your resume. It is much like the handshake when introduced to someone.

How do you make one? You put your fingers on the keyboard and press the little letters to make words. ;)

Ah, that makes sense. LOL, I guess the "how do I make one" question was pretty self explanatory. :r

Thanks for your help, Peter.

[massphatness]

In general, a good presentation follows the following formula:

1. Tell them what you're going to tell them

2. Tell them

3. Tell them what you told them

You can look at the cover letter as 1, the resume as 2 and your interview as 3

[rhmalone]

Yeah, in many respects it's more important than the resume... as a well written cover letter will be what many employers use to determine if they even look at your resume. Word should have several pre-installed templates (with more online) that may be helpful in getting you started.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/ct101467921033.aspx

hope all goes well.

[PeteSB75]

While the resume is your qualifications, showing that you can do the job, the cover letter is your sales pitch. It's about why you would be a better pick than Joe from down the block who has all the same skills and more experience. It is the single most important part of any job search done directly with hiring managers and HR people. Think of it as a written version of how you will sell yourself in the interview. Use it to tell them why you are the best fit for the job, and everything else becomes a formality.

[Darrell]

Does anyone have a copy of their own I can see? I don't like using web templates, they sound so cookie cutter. I'm not going to copy your letter, but I want to see how it reads so I better know how to do it myself.

[Ashcan Bill]

Darrell, think about it this way. The average HR Recruiter may get hundreds, even thousands, of resumes for a job.

The cover letter is the first thing they glance over. By the time they get to yours, they may have already looked over countless cover letters/resumes, and are tired.

What will make them wake up and want to look at your resume? What will make them think "Hey, this person may be better qualified and a better fit as compared to all the others?".

[replicant_argent]

use violet paper, Darrell, that might be a good start for you.
;)


JK, good luck on the whole process.

[mosesbotbol]

Lot's of good stuff so far has been mentioned.

What industry are you targeting? I can only speak from my industry.

Things like US Citizen, Secret Cleared, MBA, Medal of Honor, or stuff that immediately attracts attention to you vs. everyone else should be in the cover letter.

Your relevance to the company at hand is good too. Your skills along with something unique about their company catches the eye.

Keep it short. I never held much regard to cover letters, but in my industry the cover is not that big a deal. Other professions or entry jobs it may well be.

[pnoon]

Lot's of good stuff so far has been mentioned.

What industry are you targeting? I can only speak from my industry.

Things like US Citizen, Secret Cleared, MBA, Medal of Honor, or stuff that immediately attracts attention to you vs. everyone else should be in the cover letter.

Your relevance to the company at hand is good too. Your skills along with something unique about their company catches the eye.

Keep it short. I never held much regard to cover letters, but in my industry the cover is not that big a deal. Other professions or entry jobs it may well be.

This is good advice. A cover letter should be tailored and customized for each application/position.

[M1903A1]

Thanks for posting this...cover letters have always been a major problem for me too.

[bobarian]

This is good advice. A cover letter should be tailored and customized for each application/position.

:tpd: There is no such thing as a generic cover letter. Each time you send out a resume for a specific job, the cover letter should be made to show how your skills and qualifications fit that position. No two cover letters should ever be alike. Different companies in the same industry should receive different letters.

[floydpink]

A friend of mine in HR told me that above all, the cover letter should be completely free of errors. He said that when sorting through resumes, a misspelling gets you passed right over.

If you have any spelling or gramatical challenges, have someone proof read it.
(I think I may have made a gramatical error with proof read).

He went on to say that if your resume is the cake, the cover letter is the icing.

Of course, a proven track record or unique skill makes some spelling errors easier to overlook.

[Resipsa]

This is good advice. A cover letter should be tailored and customized for each application/position.Exactly. Read the job advertisement and look for the key words in it, then tailor your letter to include that information:

"successful applicant will have outstanding research and writings skills"

don't say "I have excellent research and writing skills". Say " as a two year editor on Law Review....". Show them, don't tell them.

Do that for every key word you can pick out. If someone
is well qualifed for a job the cover letter is a piece of cake, it's your time to shine

[MajorCaptSilly]

I was just talking to my daughter about this. She was having me proof her resume and cover letter. I helped her write a resume that highlighted jobs she's had that gave her experience relevant to the internship she is seeking. Her cover letter expanded on the bullet points in the resume to show that not only did she have the experience needed but could adequately paint a picture of her experience and how it would benefit the potential employer. She also pointed out charitable projects she has organized or has helped with as a tram leader. She got the internship today so, I guess the old man still has some talent in that area!

MCS

[MedicCook]

Check out their website and see what the company mission statement is also.

[montecristo#2]

A friend of mine in HR told me that above all, the cover letter should be completely free of errors. He said that when sorting through resumes, a misspelling gets you passed right over.

If you have any spelling or gramatical challenges, have someone proof read it.
(I think I may have made a gramatical error with proof read).

He went on to say that if your resume is the cake, the cover letter is the icing.

Of course, a proven track record or unique skill makes some spelling errors easier to overlook.


I couldn't agree with this more. We have been interviewing for several positions and one of the guys we brought in had one of the worst cover letters I have ever read. Spelling and grammatical errors, run on sentences. . .

Let's just say if it had been up to me, he would not have even brought him it. Strike 1 for sure.

In this economy, definitely spend some time on this one and if you are a little weak in grammar or spelling, have someone proof read it before sending it off.

[floydpink]

It's definitely a tough market and many overqualified people are taking less paying jobs to avoid losing their homes.

I'm not sure if it's going overboard or what, but my company puts you through a Gallup Poll where you have a few seconds to answer an array of questions that supposedly let them know if you will fit into the corporation's culture. I've heard these aren't cheap to do.

This is AFTER they read your cover letter and had at least 2 seperate HR people interview you and verified your background and sent you to pee in a cup.

A poorly put together cover letter is lucky to get a call back telling them they weren't hired, and I personally never heard of it.

If it were me, I would pay someone who is qualified to sit down with me and help me nail this thing.

[Volt]

We hire people for jobs in the 18K to 30K range for various positions. They take a total of 6 different tests/questionnaires prior to even getting a sit down with a human. Cover letters are very important as is the resume. People too lazy to even turn on MS spell check and grammar checker will NEVER be hired by us.

Many noted good points for the cover letter. Use their job description phrases in your cover letter, nice 20# paper or better (white or off white is best), tell them you WANT the job, etc. For the job I have now I had a professional interviewer look my paperwork over. One silly and simingly stupid trick she gave me. Paper clip the pages together with a colored paper clip. She said the secretaries and HR folks love them. Yours gets sucked to the top just so they can swap the clip out with a silver one. Go figure. Your name and address should be on every piece of paper you give them in case the package gets parted out.

As my post indicates, thank god my IT skills are better than my forum typing :)

It's definitely a tough market and many overqualified people are taking less paying jobs to avoid losing their homes.

I'm not sure if it's going overboard or what, but my company puts you through a Gallup Poll where you have a few seconds to answer an array of questions that supposedly let them know if you will fit into the corporation's culture. I've heard these aren't cheap to do.

This is AFTER they read your cover letter and had at least 2 seperate HR people interview you and verified your background and sent you to pee in a cup.

A poorly put together cover letter is lucky to get a call back telling them they weren't hired, and I personally never heard of it.

If it were me, I would pay someone who is qualified to sit down with me and help me nail this thing.

[mosesbotbol]

We hire people for jobs in the 18K to 30K range for various positions. They take a total of 6 different tests/questionnaires prior to even getting a sit down with a human.

Thank the Lord I am consultant/contractor, as I would have no desire to go through such hoops for a job. I guess if you are starting out, the ball is the employer's court and candidates mean nothing.

Sounds so demeaning to go through so many steps and get 18K salary. That's $9.00 an hour. Doesn't Papa John's pay that? No offense to your establishment, just talking in general.

[mosesbotbol]

One thing beyond the cover letter is working on your professional networking. Make sure you're on Linkedin or the like and that recommendations and references are in place.

I won't even meet with a recruiter unless they have a specific opportunity with an potential interview with client scheduled. The recruiter can read my resume, look at me on Linkedin, see my picture on line, and I will supply them with references. I don't have time to go visit every agency that calls me because they need to see me in person before they'll submitt me or does not have a specific requirement they are working on. There are plenty of agencies that know who I am already and everything should speak for its self.

[Volt]

Thank the Lord I am consultant/contractor, as I would have no desire to go through such hoops for a job. I guess if you are starting out, the ball is the employer's court and candidates mean nothing.

Sounds so demeaning to go through so many steps and get 18K salary. That's $9.00 an hour. Doesn't Papa John's pay that? No offense to your establishment, just talking in general.


Sorry, we are a contractor to the public school systems. We can only pay what the school systems can afford to pay. Our people are paid what ever the school system would pay a teachers aid. We are also in very rual areas, which means some of this pay is top dollar for their area. You would be suprised at the resumes we get even for the 18K - 22K jobs right now. Peeps are looking for work.

As to the tests/questionaires..... Personality, math skills, situational ethics, Wonderlic test, etc. All required to weed out those that will not be able to perform or are unsuited to be around children. We actaully do less testing than many other companies I know of....

[floydpink]

Hate to say it, but your cover letter and resume can be spotless, but if you look like a schmuck, you ain't getting in if the job involves face to face sales in a lot of cases.

Now, what a schmuck looks like is purely interptreted by the individual job interviewed for.

What I'm trying to say, is a Goodwill suit and a teardrop tattoo under your eye won't work well in a Fortune 500 company, but might get you "hang around" status with the Warlocks.

Not fair? Probably not.