Writing cover letters lost art of “icing on the cake”
for many
Writing cover letters is a lost art for many job seekers, especially in
today’s world of electronic communications. With so many job openings applied
for online, job-seekers often get too informal in their applications for
positions. Just because you can apply for a job online doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t take the time to craft a cover letter to accompany your
resume.
Spend as much time tailoring your resume as you do your cover
letter
Especially when you don’t have the time to customize resumes, sending out a
well-crafted and personalized cover letter can make a world of difference in
getting the right person’s attention. Ideally, you would craft individual
resumes for every job that you apply for. Since you may not have time to do
that, you can still take the time to write a quick cover letter that
personalizes your job application.
When writing your cover letter, make sure to include the following:
• As specific an addressee as possible. Call if you can, to find out who should
receive the cover letter.
• Reference the specific job for which you’re applying
• Include 2-3 (or all, if possible) skills or experience that you have which
meet the needs of the open position
• Include one point of a specific time that you saved a past employer money
• End with a call to action, ideally for them to call you in for an
interview
If you are comfortable with this, end the cover letter with saying that you’re
going to follow through and then make sure that you do.
Related Article(s)
see also
writing business letters
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