Writing Effective Cover Letters

The cover letter is often overlooked when preparing a resume. Your cover letter is just as important. In actual fact the cover letter will yield the first impression. Have a terrible cover letter and the next step will be the trash can. When writing the cover letter we want to be short and snappy. We want to create interest. We want it to be clean and concise. The objective with the cover letter is to get the prospective employer to read your resume and call you for an interview. Employers are busy. There are a lot people applying for jobs. Think to yourself how you can get to the next step. Understand the position you are applying for and get to the point of how you will be the best person for the job. Lead the way in an exciting fashion to the employer reading your resume and getting on the phone to find out more about you. The cover letter will always begin with placing your full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address in the top left hand corner of your letter. Always remember not to use abbreviations. Starting out with the opening paragraph the goal is to generate interest and outline the exact position you are applying for. Now that you have introduced yourself and given the position your are applying for, then you move on to the second paragraph where you will reveal your education, work experiences, leadership skills, etc. In this paragraph also you would touch on your interest in that specific position and your interest in the company. Again outline specific interests that you have in both. You want your prospective employer to feel your enthusiasm and appreciate your knowledge of his or her company. The cover letter sells the sizzle and generates an interest to read more.