How To Write A Cover Letter

Cover letters are important for getting that dream job you have always wanted. Sometimes it can be hard to write a perfect letter that would make the employer want to look at your resume and then call you in for an interview. The cover letter is an important communication tool for the job search process. It demonstrates your written communications skills, but they also highlight interests and qualifications you may not have included in the resume; it also clarifies details and shows respect for the employer. The cover letter can serve as an application letter or preliminary letter asking if a company is looking for employees.

The format of a cover letter is simple, yet needs to look professional. The paper should be white; do not think any other color would make the letter stand out, if anything it would land the letter into the garbage. You should use the same color paper for your resume as you did the cover letter. Use 12 point font at the maximum and 10 point font at the minimum. The font style should be easy to read, use something like Times New Roman, Helvetica or Presentation, the font you use should be the same you use for the resume and the thank you letter in case you do get an interview. Use general business format meaning your address, the address of company you are sending to then date, then greeting and the letter itself. Do not indent the paragraphs and center the whole thing on the page. Keep the letter to one page, a cover letter should never be more than that. No employer wants to read your life story: keep it simple.

Always address the letter to a specific individual like Dear Mr. Lukitch or Dear Mrs. Hawkins; never just address it as To whom it may concern. That shows you didn't do the research to see who would be looking at the resume and cover letters. Use correct titles and business address; if you don't know it then look it up or call the company itself. Try to avoid beginning every sentence with "I" try to vary it a little. For example While at Borders Express I learned the importance of catering to the customer or something like As a senior accounting major. Make sure the letter is error free; if you have a hard time editing let a friend or family member read through it to help pick out mistakes and give ideas on ways to improve it. You also want it to be clean, no smug marks, not coffee stains or anything like that.

You will want to tailor each letter to the situation. You do not want to send out the same generic letter to each company with you just changing business address and names. The cover letter is the perfect way to market yourself to a prospective employer. Employers can spot when you just mass produce your letter and don't tailor it to their company and job they are offering, many times that will get your letter and resume set aside and possibly forgotten. Show appreciation for your employer for considering your application. In your first paragraph when you are introducing yourself you can say I would like you to consider my application for the Tax Intern position with the ABC Accounting firm. That sentence shows consideration for the employer and that you are genuine in wanting the position. As you end the letter you can thank the employer for taking the time to review your resume.

Do not under any circumstances use slang in your letter. Employers would not even look at a resume that is accompanied with a slang filled letter. You should be professional and easy to read. You want the employer to know you are a professional business person. Be able to back up your claims with evidence and specific examples that support what you have learned or projects that you have done in the past. Do not make up things that cannot be backed up. Your main goal is to communicate that you are responsible person with a positive attitude, do not mention anything bad about previous employers. Try ot make the letter work centered and employer center and not "me" centered which goes back to avoiding using "I" to start sentences; focus on skills and experiences meaning what you can do instead of who you are. Integrate information you have learned through research about the company into the letter.

In the first paragraph you want to identify the position and how you learned about it. For example: In response to the August 24 posting on the Robert Morris University ColonialTRAK website, I am applying for the position of marketing assistant withwith the ABC marketing firm.y want more information.

Covepositonrs are a way of letting the employer that you are interested and show your qualifications for their company and your skills without putting them specifically into words. You can show you communication skills through your cover letter and show your personality amopoistionwriting and the way you present youself to the company. Cover letters are probably the most important part of the application process, just as if not more important than the resume itself.