Graphic Designer's Resume - What Should a Cover Letter Contain?

Graphic Designer's Resume - What Should a Cover Letter Contain? by Juan C. Rivera

A cover letter is designed to express your interest in a certain job. It is used to express your feeling toward the position and highlights a few necessary skills needed for the job. A cover letter does not list all you skills, this is done in your resume. However, a cover letter invites the reader to look at your resume with close attention and may also contain a "call to action" soliciting an interview.

In a world so full of competition, a cover letter helps set you apart from the rest. There are many way to write a cover letter. But keep in mind that it isn't a science, if you can master ADOBE programs, you can successfully write a good cover letter.

Cover letters have many layouts but essentially have the same information and distribution. Note that letters have a left aligned distribution.

* Heading: This is where you put your information. Name, Address and phone number and the date. This goes on the top left hand side. * Addressee: This is where the information of the person or department that will receive your cover letter and resume. * Greeting: The norm is "Dear", but you may write some other greeting. Always remember that it must be in a respectful manner. Also write the person's full name. If it's directed to departments write: Hiring Manager.

After the greeting come the paragraphs that state you desire and qualifications. This part consists of 2 to 4 paragraphs. I recommend a three paragraph system, one paragraph for a specific purpose.

· Paragraph one: Why you are writing and which position you are applying for? Employers also like to know how you heard about the position, to see which medium was the most successful. Write a bit about the company and why you are interested in this position or organization. This demonstrate to you future employer that you know about them and that you are sincerely interested in working with them.

· Paragraph two: This paragraph is designed to explain why you are qualified for the job. In the job description there is usually a list of tasks that the person applying for the position must do. Highlight experiences that demonstrate your capacity in fulfilling those tasks. If the paragraph seems too long, divide it into two. Please consider the following in order to make this second paragraph effective.

* The first sentence should be a good opener. A quick introduction directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job. * The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed. Describe specific jobs, projects and accomplishments associated with those experiences. * The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above. Mention the position title and company name to bring the reader back to the specific job in question.

· Final Paragraph: It should be a short paragraph, from 2 to 4 sentences. Use a call to action such as "Please schedule a date and time convenient to you for me to come show you my extensive portfolio..." or something else that invites you for an interview. Finish the letter with thanks to the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Finish the body of you cover letter with a good bye. Then with your signature and below your name in print.

Remember that a cover letter is to invite a person to read your resume and invite you for an interview. The cover letter should be well written and error free. Have people read it in order to spot any syntax error. All the cover letters in the world won't help you land a job if your resume is bad. So brush up your resume; write a good cover letter and good luck on your job hunting.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Resume Cover Letter Example

Resume Cover Letter Example by Gen Wright

In hiring applicants for a vacant position in the organization, employers look for substance in the application documents, and these include a complete and impressive resume attached to a well written and well thought off cover letter. Resume cover letters can make or break your application as it highlights all your best assets and skills and make you part of the shortlist and worth calling in for an interview.

It is considered proper business etiquette to attach a cover letter to your resume even if the employer or organization accepting applicants for a certain position does not require or need one.
Resume cover letter examples are everywhere online. There are cover letter samples for sales and marketing, internship, teacher, student, accounting, education, nursing, IT, legal, business, technical, engineering, paralegal, entry work, social work, administrative assistants; regardless of the position you are applying for, any resume cover letter example would show you that it is comprised of four major sections. These are the header, introduction, body of the letter and the closing. The header contains the date the cover letter was written and the information on the recipient, including his or her contact information and complete address, and the salutation, "Dear Sir.". The introduction briefly states how the applicant found out about the specific job opening and the specific position he is applying for. You can start with, "I am ____, an engineering graduate from the University of ____," or "I have seen through our bulletin boards in campus that your company is in need of mechanical engineers, I would like to apply for the position of____." The body of the letter contains the skills, the experiences and educational background of the applicant. The purpose of this section is to impress and make a good first impression on the employer or reader of the cover letter. "I have recently graduated with the degree in ____," or "I am recently the general manager for ____." Then the last section is the closing. Here you tell the reader your next steps in the application process - if you will be calling them back or if you will just be waiting for their call. You can say, "I will be waiting for your kind response," or "I will contact you within this week to follow up on the status of my application." This section also contains the signature line and information about yourself including complete name, complete address and contact information - you may opt to include your email address.

Here are some tips on how to write a good cover letter. In any resume cover letter sample that you will find, you will notice that there are no typing errors, as these can give a bad impression that you did not prepare well enough. You should do a background research on the company prior to writing the cover letter so you can incorporate your knowledge of the organization, which is a good plus for you as compared to an applicant who has no idea as to what company he is applying to. And most importantly, be yourself, make sure that you sound like you in the letter.

Source: Resume Cover Letter articles at goarticles.com

Cover Letter Mistakes - Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Job Resume Cover Letter Samples : Cover Letter Mistakes - Common Pitfalls to Avoid by Mike Woods

A cover letter should be made for every resume you submit. While a few may think that a cover letter is unnecessary considering that a resume already details all the required skills and experiences, it actually helps on complementing the submitted resume.

A good cover letter should focus on the key competencies and experiences relevant to the role and should clearly erase any doubt from the employer that you are the right candidate for the job. To achieve this, you need to avoid these common cover letter mistakes that can cost you the possible interview and the job.

Cover Letter Pitfalls

1. Misspelling the company name or the addressee. The address line of a cover letter is immediately noticeable. Any errors or misspellings are easily spotted and will send the message that you have not done your research and are not very attentive to detail. As much as possible, avoid using generic greetings in your cover letter. Take the time to know who the appropriate contact person should be.

2. Focusing on what you can get out from the role than what you can offer to the company. A good cover letter should clearly send the message that you have the right skills and competencies that will be valuable in performing the role and helping the company. It's not good telling them that the particular role can boost your career. The company is more interested in what you can offer, not the other way around. Point this out in your cover letter.

3. Repeating details stated in your resume. In structuring your cover letter, don't just enumerate the information already found in your resume. The cover letter is there to encourage the employer to read on and review your application more closely. Simply repeating resume details in the cover letter won't help them in deciding whether they need to invest time interviewing you. Highlight key competencies in your resume but align it with your career goals and how these can benefit the company.

4. Using "I" as the opening word for each sentence in your cover letter. Come on. Employers need to be impressed with your communication skills. Starting every sentence in your cover letter this way will obviously not make that impression.

5. Closing the cover letter with the generic "call me for an interview at your most convenient time". If you are genuinely interested in working for the company, show your interest by stating that you will call them up to follow up on your application. It is best to close the cover letter by informing the employer that you will contact them and how you intend to do so. This demonstrates that you are genuinely interested and knows how to take charge.

While your cover letter is only one part of your job application, doing it right by avoiding these common cover letter pitfalls can bring you one step closer to landing that dream role.

About the Author
Fact: Most of the resumes submitted will end up as trash. Don't let that happen to you. Learn how to write a resume that guarantees job success and how to make a winning cover letter.

Source: Job Resume Cover Letter Examples, Resume Cover Letter samples and templates information at goarticles.com