Resume cover letters are extremely important, though many jobseekers don’t fully realize it. Will your resume be read, or will it be thrown into the circular file with barely a glance? A well written cover letter can make all the difference.
Jobseekers commonly make the mistake of duplicating their resume when they write the cover letter– although many of them just plain forget to write the cover letter to begin with! But, one really should look at the cover letter as a way to build upon the resume.
Imagine sitting at a desk with piles of resumes in front of you. They’re all printed on nice, white paper. They all boast of each applicant’s skills and objectives.
Lots of them are accompanied by cover letters, some of them very long and rambling. Overwhelming, isn’t it? Set yourself apart. You want to write a cover letter that gets attention and gives persuasive reasons for the reader to look at your resume.
So where to start? You can find many examples of resume cover letters on the internet. You’ll find cover letters available for all kinds of different jobs in several different formants. Use your favorite search engine to find them easily.
Don’t be afraid to mention the name of someone who has both referred you and is well known to the company or interviewer– provided you have that person’s permission, of course. Networking referrals are a powerful tool, and can ensure that your resume at least gets read.
Next thing you need to do is study the job description. Write references to it and describe how your skills make you suited for the job. The easy thing to do would be to repeat everything that’s on your resume, but this is a golden opportunity to take everything a step further. Remember the job description, and tell the readers how your skills will benefit the company.
First and foremost, imagine that the interviewer is reading and asking, “What’s in it for me?” Chances are that’s exactly what the interviewer’s thinking every time he or she is reading resume cover letters. If your answer sounds good, you’ll get the interview!
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- Carlie Evie