In some ways, your cover letter should be just as important as your resume. Why? Because your letter conveys to your potential employer:

• • Your presentation and communication style
• • Your goals and objectives
• • Relevant information and background about you as a total candidate, including your education, work experience, and any internships
• • What you know about your potential employer
• • Reasons why they should read your resume.

With advertisements being placed in local and national newspapers, employers can expect to be deluged with hundreds of resumes. Consider this: with such a “sea” of paper coming across your desk, how much attention would YOU give each resume? Probably not much!

So how do you grab their attention out of all that paper? What sells? What doesn’t?

First and foremost, it is important to target your cover letter to the position for which you are applying. Think of all the possible skills and relevant experience relating to the job. Be savvy as to what they are asking for, and then make sure you feed that back to them!

Second, be prepared to make your cover letter to the point and format your letter with lots of white space. Cover letters that rely on lengthy narratives and cumbersome paragraphs are very likely to be overlooked. Why? Employers are too tired to wade through the words!

Finally, make sure you customize your message to their needs. How? Remember that your cover letter serves to get your resume read. Your letter should be a mini-resume containing the following:

• • What position you are applying for
• • How you heard about the position why you are applying
• • A convincing argument why you are qualified
• • What you know about the potential employer
• • How you can be reached for an interview.

Some of these points are more obvious than others. Point one – the position for which you are applying might seem obvious, but many employers have several ads that may seem similar. If they aren’t sure which specific position you are seeking, your resume may well get tossed.

Point two – how you heard about this opening could be valuable information to the employer, as they like to know how effective their media campaign is. But more importantly, if you have a personal contact in the company, your letter and resume have a much better chance of being noticed.

Many employers, especially large ones, have employee referral programs, wherein those referring candidates who get hired receive bonuses. Companies know that inside referrals get the best results. If you have a good friend or acquaintance who works for the company, in a way, they have pre-screened and qualified you for the position, and determined that it would be a match in terms of the pacing, the projects, their needs/concerns, the corporate culture, etc.

Point three – why you are applying should reveal your motivation. Perhaps you are excited by a step up or a lateral move with an exciting new company or product line. This should grab their attention.

The meat of your letter should address why you are qualified – your accomplishments and skills.

In short, personalizing your letter and resume is like the difference between a blind date and going out with someone you know!

Example of cover letter
(in response to an ad in Jobs and Careers for an administrative assistant)