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What You Should Know How To Write That Cover Letter Improve Your Chances Of Getting The Interview



N


early all job seekers are        seeking process. The purpose of a 
well aware of the               cover letter is to clearly        
importance of a resume when     express your interest in and      
applying for a professional           qualifications for a position to  
opinion, but few realize the          a prospective employer. So while  
vital role that an accompanying       the resume is a generic           
cover letter plays in the             advertisement, your cover letter  
selection process. In fact, your      tailors your application to each  
cover letter is just as important     specific job. By condensing your  
to your job search as is your         resume into key points and        
resume.                               drawing the recruiter's attention 
                                      to the most relevant areas of     
Consider this: recruiters and         your experience, you are          
managers often receive dozens, if     assisting the recruiter in        
not hundreds, of applicants for       matching up your qualifications   
every one available position.         to that of the open position. And 
With so many applicants to            by taking the guesswork out of    
review, interviewers do not have      your resume, you greatly increase 
much time to determine if you are     your chances of getting a call    
qualified for the job. In fact, a     for an interview.                 
recruiter typically spends                                              
between one and two minutes           A cover letter has to "sell" your 
quickly glancing over a resume,       qualifications to a complete      
hardly enough to thoroughly           stranger and convince them that   
investigate if your skills set        you are worthy of an in-person    
and experience is a good match        meeting. Therefore, as you can    
for the position.                     imagine, it is not an easy        
                                      document to write. There are      
This is why a cover letter is         several guidelines, though, that  
such a critical tool to the job       should assist you in the cover    



letter development process.           whenever possible.                
                                                                        
Typically a cover letter is less      Specifically mention the          
than one page in length and has       position(s) that you are seeking. 
four main sections: the                                                 
introduction, a highlight of your                                       
qualifications, a summary of why      Let the recruiter know how you    
you are interested in the             heard about the position. If you  
position, and a concluding            saw the position advertised or    
follow-up. Before you start           were referred by someone, be sure 
listing a litany of skills,           to include this information.      
though, it's important to do some                                       
research on the company and the       Grab the reader's attention and   
position for which you are            stimulate their interest in you   
applying to give you a better         right away!!                      
understanding of the company's                                          
products or services, history,        Part 2 - Summary of your          
values, and target customer           Qualifications:                   
market. This will help give you a                                       
better idea of what recruiters        Highlight your strongest          
are likely to be seeking in a         qualifications for the position   
candidate, and allow you to           you are seeking. Be sure to limit 
tailor your cover letter to           your qualifications to only those 
specifically address those areas.     that are the most relevant to the 
                                      position.                         
                                                                        
Part 1 - The Introduction:            Show, rather than simply tell,    
                                      the manager your qualifications   
Your cover letter should be           by including specific, credible   
addressed to the hiring manager,      examples from your experience.    



                                      Part 4 - Conclusion and           
Quantify these qualifications         Follow-up:                        
whenever possible by focusing on                                        
pertinent figures, projects,          Refer employers to your enclosed  
awards, and                           resume so that they can review    
equipment/software/tools you've       your qualifications in further    
used that are relevant to the job     detail.                           
you want. For example, rather                                           
than highlighting your "excellent     Request a personal interview or   
customer service skills"              meeting with the hiring manager.  
indicates that you "achieved a                                          
98% customer satisfaction rating"     Indicate how the recruiter should 
or "increased department sales by     contact you. Be sure to provide a 
25% in the first quarter".            working phone number or e-mail    
                                      address.                          
Part 3 - Why you are Interested                                         
in the Position:                      Set a time to follow up. For      
                                      example indicate that you "will   
Let the recruiter know why you        call to follow up on Monday       
want to work at their company.        afternoon".                       
What is it about the company that     Thank the reader for his or her   
appeals to you?                       time.                             
                                                                        
Why does this particular position     One final note: your cover letter 
appeal to you?                        is the first impression that      
                                      recruiters will get of you. A     
Indicate why you are a good fit       strong focused cover letter can   
for the company. How will be an       convey a powerful, positive first 
asset to the team?                    impression. A weak non-focused    
                                      letter, though, can kill any      



interest a recruiter may have in      you proofread carefully for       
your qualifications, regardless       grammatical and typographical     
of how strong of a fit you may be     errors before sending any         
for the position. Be sure that        correspondence.                   






About the Author:

Could your resume be improved by a professional? Find out with the http://Resumes-and-Cover-Letters.com guide to the best sample resumes, cover letters, resume examples, resume formats and a free 12-step email course to succeed at interview. This article may be reproduced as long as the resource box and live links remain intact.

Source: www.isnare.com


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    What You Should Know How To Write That Cover Letter Improve Your Chances Of Getting The Interview