A potential employer’s first impression of you is your cover letter because it is the first thing they see. Your cover letter is a key part of your application to a prospective employer, and introduces you and your resume. This is why your cover letter can easily be one of the most significant factors in the success of your job-hunting campaign. An effective cover letter is a carefully crafted letter that “sings your praises” and leads the employer to the resume to see why you are the best candidate for the job. It is a marketing tool, just like the resume.

A great cover letter also gives you an opportunity to highlight important points in your resume and to stress particular aspects of your background that might be important to the employer. A cover letter isn’t likely to persuade an employer to give you a job, but it is part of the whole package that will encourage an employer to want to get to know you better.

A cover letter serves three important purposes:

• It tells the employer that you are interested in the specific job being advertised.
• It demonstrates that you understand the recruitment process and can convey a professional image.
• It is your first opportunity to grab the employer’s attention by detailing in just a few paragraphs how your skills and experience specifically match the requirements outlined in a job ad.

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer interested in the resume, so first of all identify the key skills required for the job. Once you have done so, highlight the most relevant skills from your resume so that a recruiting manager can quickly see the top skills that match the key job requirements within seconds of glancing at the letter. This will hook the reader’s attention and motivate them to read further. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. Don’t just state what you are capable of, show the employer with vibrant language that attracts and invites the employer to want to know more about you.

To stand out and get your resume read, your cover letter must do the following:

Display some knowledge of the company.

Your cover letter should be a custom-tailored, personalized summary directed at a specific employer. While you can keep the majority of the same information on cover letter to cover letter, they should each be specific to each position that you apply to. Research the company prior to writing the letter. Check out recent news and read through the company’s Web site, and then incorporate what you learned into your letter. Doing so will demonstrate to the employer that you are informed, motivated and willing to go the extra mile.

Show that you are a perfect fit for the job.
Address the specific position advertised, and include specific examples about your past achievements and career highlights. If you are applying for a sales position, draw the reader’s attention to detailed examples that prove your sales abilities. Don’t just tell the reader that you are self-motivated. Give an example that shows your motivation. Lay out all of your pertinent information in a way that lets the person making the recruiting decision clearly see how your experience and background fit the company’s needs.

Keep your letter short, concise and to the point.

Recruitment managers receive letters and resumes from hundreds of applicants, and often just don’t have the time to read lengthy, wordy letters. You need to be direct, writing what makes you better than others straight off. In the first paragraph, include the title of the position you are interested in and then move on to your specific qualifications immediately. Show respect for the limited time your reader has and limit yourself to four or five paragraphs at the very most.

Write and edit your letter with care.
A cover letter with typos, incorrect information, or spelling errors speaks volumes about you, so take good care when writing your cover letter. Make sure it is impeccable. Proofread it just as meticulously as you did the resume. Make sure the company’s name is spelled correctly. Also, check to see if the contact you are writing to is a male or female. Careless mistakes send a red flag to the employer.

Briefly state your best qualifications and achievements.

Don’t spend a lot of time simply rehashing your resume. It should provide edited, juicy highlights from your resume, with enough information to generate interest in the mind of the reader. Cover letters and resumes do get separated, so it’s important to write a cover letter that will make readers want to pick up the phone and call you even if they’ve lost your resume.

State that you will follow up to schedule an interview.
Instead of ending the letter with “I look forward to hearing from you,” you can politely close with “I will call you next week to discuss a time for us to meet.” or, “May I meet with you to discuss your needs for an experienced (Job title)? I will call your office next week to discuss this possibility.” This shows your determination and confidence, and sets you apart from the crowd. Once you’ve included this call to action, however, make sure you follow your own promise.

Focus on the needs of the employer.

An effective cover letter highlights the aspects of your experience that are most useful to the potential employer, and you can earn points for knowing what those aspects are. Your letter should show you what you can do for them. Since you know about the employer from having written your targeted CV, show some initiative by briefly mentioning how you would solve a particular problem, contribute to the bottom line, etc.

Show some enthusiasm for the job you want.

Avoid sounding like majority of applicants, who effectively say: “Give me a job where I can advance and make more money.” Instead, convey this sense: “I’m excited about the possibility of bringing my skills and expertise to work for you.” This should be the main theme of your cover letter.

Style is important.

A resume cover letter should be only one page in length, and your cover letter heading should be identical to your resume heading. That is crucial. Headings should always include your name and contact information.

Personalize your letter.

Nobody likes to receive impersonal mail. Cover letters that begin with phrases like “To Whom it May Concern,” sound like random junk or bulk mail, rather than an important correspondence. Your cover letter salutation should be “Dear Mr. Jones:” or “Dear Mrs. Smith:” Take some time to research the correct addressee. If you do not know the marital status of a female interviewer, the safe salutation is “Dear Ms. Smith:” Use a colon after the name and not a comma.

A cover letter is a business letter.

Use a business format for dating and addressing your cover letter to the appropriate person. List his/her correct position. E.g. “Mr. Ronald Jones, director of personnel.” Use formal block (not indented) paragraphs with spaces in between.

Never include salary history in your cover letter.

Adding your salary history is a risk and could hurt your chances of being invited for an interview. Even if the job ad requests a salary history, simply let the employer know that your salary requirements are “negotiable”.