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QUICK LINKS ON THIS PAGE: Basic Elements of Well Written Cover Letters Drafting a Tailored Cover Letter Job Opening Cover Letters E-mailing Your Cover Letter and Resume
Never under-estimate the importance of the cover letter!
In a recent Fortune 500 Survey, employment recruiters were asked “How Important is the Cover Letter?” Here are their responses:
95% Think Cover Letters are Important 96% Can Tell the Difference Between a Form Letter and a Tailored One 94% Are Impressed When a Candidate Personalizes a Letter 70% Will Read Cover Letters Thoroughly
In another poll, Human Resources professionals said that:
39% The cover letter is among the most important factors when reviewing an application 22% It depends on the job 19% It’s important only if it’s awful 12% We don’t even look at cover letters 8% It’s very important. It can clinch the job
The cover letter is your opportunity to grab the employer's attention and focus him/her on who you are and why you are a match for the job. When corresponding with prospective employers, your goal in using the cover letter is to introduce the resume and either prompt an interview or phone call by the employer, or pave the way for your follow up phone call to the employer.
Basic Elements of Well Written Cover Letters
Great cover letters:
1. Establish a personal connection with the reader as quickly as possible.
2. Give the employer a sense of your personality through your writing style and direct statements about your character.
3. Let the employer know what you want him/her to do as a result of your letter and ask him or her to do it.
4. Are visually inviting and are formatted to a 1-page letter using short paragraphs, bullet points, and white space to make letters quick and easy to read.
Drafting a Tailored Cover Letter
Job Opening Cover Letters
E-mailing Your Cover Letter and Resume