How to Make a Cover Letter Stand Out From the Rest

Resume Cover Letters Articles : How to Make a Cover Letter Stand Out From the Rest by Thara Washington

You might think that cover letters are not necessary but 'my oh my' are they ever. The buck doesn't stop at the resume; it stops at the cover letter. The cover letter could be the deciding factor over whether or not in a sea of qualified individuals you are the one that gets the job. It is your opportunity to highlight your character traits and achievements.

You get a chance to convince the employer of why you are going to be an asset to their company. Getting the picture, great! The cover letter is very, very important and you should take the time and effort to get everything about it right. But how, How do you perfect the art of a great cover letter?

Well together we are going to take the journey to excellent cover letter writing.

In a stack of resumes what is going to make your resume stand out? Well the way you write it. Cover letters like resumes have an exact science to it. There are steps to be taken and laws that cannot be broken. First off... Keep your cover letter short, they don't want a long drawn out rambler. Keep it down to about 3 - 4 paragraphs on one page.

Also keep your paragraphs nicely spaced and not too wordy, because when it looks cluttered it usually is, and even you would not want to read the lot of it.

Next you wanna address the letter directly to the person in charge of hiring you. That might require a little creativity to find out who that person is. If however you can't find out who it is address the letter to say "Dear manager". I mean dear manager alone because all the other traditional titles are so not gonna work or even be remotely appropriate.

Then in your cover letter, make sure to be articulate, and cleverly express your interest and desire to work for their company. Do your research so you can pin point how well you fit into the open position. And express warmth, genuine care and friendliness without being over the top. Remember being Genuine is key.

This is the part where you have a "controlled" blab about yourself. Make the employer aware of any special talents, skills and experiences the can be an asset to them. Also things about your character that make you the optimum person to employ. Keep in mind that this isn't a biography so don't over do; keep your bragging down to one or two strong points.

Carefully and clearly make known what you want out of the job and what you are willing to give. List all that you're qualified to do and the job you believe you are most qualified for. You don't want to get the advertising job and realize that it's not in a cushy office but you get to wear a chicken costume on the sun scorched streets.

Be bold. Being bold does not mean being cocky... at the bottom of your letter state that you will call or visit them to discuss the open position and your desire and there need for it to be filled by you. (Leave your contact information as well.)

Oh and by the way make absolutely sure that your letter does not contain any spelling errors. Not even the slightest one. Double, triple and quadruple check if necessary and make the adjustments.

And it's as easy as that! Follow these guidelines to the letter and I'm sure you will undoubtedly WOW the socks of your future employer. So hop to it and get writing!!!

But hold on a minute... I know this is a very important topic but you won't want to spend a single dime until you've seen these easy cover letter and resume writing ideas... http://www.expertsecretspublishing.com/coverletter.html

About the Author
Thara is both a fitness enthusiast and a research/review expert who runs a few fitness websites as well as the very popular www.ultimatelowcarbrecipes.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=480499