Writing A Cover Letter Professionally

Resume Cover Letter Articles : Writing A Cover Letter Professionally by Mario Churchill

There are a lot of opportunities just waiting to be seized in the market; however, it is a sad fact that many people are still unemployed. Every year, different universities and colleges produce fresh graduates, and therefore the competition is quite high. You might be wondering how you are going to compete with other applicants, but did you know that you can start by writing a good cover letter?

In applying for a particular job together with hundreds of applicants, this might be your first and last chance to 'sell yourself' to the employer. In order to ensure success, your presentation should be excellent and attention-grabbing.

The whole package revolves around the idea of properly presenting yourself to the employer. You have to communicate your skills and working experiences with concrete results. Almost every employer value first impressions, so if you are able to make a significant first impression, you might have a chance to get hired.

Your resume will have no value without a cover letter. So in order for the employer to even take time to read your resume, make sure that you wrote a very professional cover letter.

How do you do it? Employers will not take time to get to know each applicant personally; they are more interested of what the applicants can do for their company. You have to have an effective introduction to catch your employer's attention, and you should keep the employer's interest while reading the entire letter.

Making a cover letter is just the first stage in applying for a job; it is a valuable tool to be able to get to the second stage, which is the interview. Through a professional letter, you are able to present and highlight your different skills that make you a viable job candidate. It gives you the opportunity to capture the employer's attention in order to achieve competitive edge over other applicants.

Professional letters usually have a formal introduction; it is an effective tool to progressively influence your standing among other applicants. Make an excellent first impression by making your letter powerful and dynamic.

Since the job market is becoming more and more competitive, your experience and qualifications are not enough. If you want to land a job, you must learn how to market yourself effectively.

Achieving a competitive edge over other applicants is what you want best, and if you have a good cover letter, it is already one way of portraying yourself to the employer.

You have to keep these five elements in mind in writing a cover letter:

1.Keep your cover letter as simple as possible. Make it concise, clear, and direct. Short sentences will do, with a clear structure, bullet points, and is reader friendly. 2.Personalize your letter, avoid using generalized salutations. 3.The first paragraph must readily capture the employer's interest, and maintain that interest by promoting yourself confidently. 4.Tangible benefits that you might be able to contribute to the company are important; this is a solid proof of your achievements. 5.After effectively selling yourself, finish it off by wanting to take a specific act, like making a call after 2 or 3 days to follow up, or wanting to meet in person.

Don't be afraid of writing your own cover letter. It is natural to be fearful and uncertain about things you want to say in the letter, but remember, practice makes perfect. As long as you're confident about yourself, you can make a very good cover letter.

About the Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on cover letter or cover letters checkout his recommended websites.

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=315761