Friday, April 10, 2009

Writing a Great Cover Letter

Writing a great cover letter takes patience and lots of time. The cover letter is what I like to call the "Icing on the Cake". Here are a few tips to get you started.

1.) Take the time to do some research on the company and investigate who the hiring manager may be. This may involve a few phone calls or simply looking at the email address. When you find out who the hiring manager is, include their name in the opening salutation. This makes a great first impression that you took the time to research (and believe me, it does take time- especially if you do this for each job that you are applying for).

2.) Keep the resume between 3-5 paragraphs long with short sentences and to really make it stand out, bullet the second paragraph that what you can do for the employer. You must actively describe how you meet these needs in quantifiable results.

3.) Tell them why they should hire you and give an example or two of what you did in the past and how it relates to their organization ( I always recommend including something that is NOT on your resume). Try to make it flow naturally.

4.) Try to make the cover letter reflect your attitude, personality, motivation communication skills and enthusiasm!

5.) In your last paragraph, always include at least these three important things:
  • Explain how they can reach you
  • Thank them for their time and consideration
  • Request a meeting/interview.

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