The Basics Of The Cover Letter Part 1

W hen you send people your       letter as they will on your        resume, whether it's          resume. If properly prepared,      through regular mail,         your cover letter will play an     overnight mail, e-mail, or a fax,     active role in developing          it's important to include a           interviews. If poorly prepared,    one-page cover letter. This           it can cost you interviews, with   letter must be carefully written      prospective employers and          so that it's just as convincing a     recruiters simply filing your      document as your resume. The          letter and resume away. In other   reason for this is that the only      words, your cover letter can't     purpose of a cover letter is to       make you, but it can easily break  provide information about             you.                               yourself that will make people                                           want to read your resume.             You may need a cover letter for                                          as many as five different          Gone are the days when a cover        situations: (1) contacting         letter was a formality, where it      prospective employers on an        sufficed to offer a few sentences     unsolicited basis, (2) writing to  explaining that you were              a prospective employer on an       enclosing your resume because you     unsolicited basis but with a       wanted to set up an interview.        referral from a mutual             The cover letter has evolved to       acquaintance, (3) approaching      the point where, today, it's a        recruiting firms, (4) answering    key component of a job search,        Internet postings and/or           and in order to be effective it       classified advertisements, and     must include important facts          (5) contacting venture capital     about your background, most           firms.                             notably your accomplishments.                                            Many people will judge your           In addition to these letters,      qualifications as much on this        there's another type of            correspondence for generating         someone; (2) when you have met     interviews: the networking            someone, let's say, only once or   letter. This is where you write       twice; (3) when you don't know     to someone not for the purpose of     the person you want to talk to     setting up an interview but,          but have been referred to him or   instead, to elicit their help in      her by a mutual acquaintance; and  arranging interviews. Depending       (4) when you know of someone who   on how well you know the person,      is very influential (this could    you may or may not include a          be a businessperson, community or  resume with your letter.              religious leader, politician,                                            physician, attorney, etc.) who     You can seek this networking          has a wide range of contacts and   assistance under four different       you need to approach the person    conditions: (1) when you have an      cold, without an introduction.     ongoing relationship with              About the Author: Dr. J.E. Burke is an educator, writer and entrepreneur involved in various business enterprises via Burke Publications. Please visit http://burkepublications.com and http://writer.burkepublications.com . Published At: www.Isnare.com