EASY STEPS to

Writing a Cover Letter

With the power to make or break your job search, the cover letter accompanying your resume may well be one of the most important tools you will use during your search for employment. A well-crafted cover letter; one that effectively highlights your unique skills and accomplishments and clearly illustrates your potential value to the employer will give you a competitive edge over other candidates. 

Designed to seize the attention of the reader, he or she will be curious to learn more about you. With attention and interest aroused, he will turn to your resume with an eye toward your employment candidacy.

The cover letter is, after all, the first communication that you will have with a potential employer. The reader will inevitably form an opinion about you from what is presented in this document. Given the importance of first impressions, it is obviously in your best interest as a job hunter to spend both time and thought writing a clear, succinct, and attention-grabbing cover letter. 

Even if you have the most stunning qualifications and accomplishments and have spent hours, or even days, crafting an impressive and high-impact resume that communicates these, if your cover letter is poorly written, the resume may not even be read. 

WRITING THE LETTER

Step 1:If you are sending your resume in the traditional manner, it is important that your cover letter is

visually attractive. Assure this by using quality paper and envelopes. Many individuals use paper that matches

their resume in order to achieve balance and continuity. You may wish to use a matching letterhead for both the resume

and letter. Pay special attention to details, including the print quality.

If you are sending your resume using email, use short paragraphs with plenty of white space. This will help make

the letter easier to read. As a subject heading, use something descriptive and attention-getting to the intended

audience, such as “Accomplished Sales Executive-Pharma &

Medical Industries.”

Step 2:Begin your letter by typing the return address, excluding your name, in the upper left or right corner.  Apply two more lines and type the full names of the addressee, apply another line

and type his or her title, another line and the company name, and finally, under this, the address. The salutation should

begin two lines under the address and should be in the form of “Dear Mr. …” or “Dear Ms. …” In business

correspondence, you should always use a colon after the salutation rather than a comma. 

It is essential that you take the time to personalize each letter in this way. A letter

addressed to “Whom it May Concern” will almost always be tossed aside. Do a little

investigative work to learn the name and title of the person who has the hiring power in the

company. 

Step 3:The body of the letter comes next. Begin by thinking of your cover letter as a personal marketing document. As with any

other marketing document, the purpose is to grab the reader’s attention while emphasizing the most attractive

benefits of the product or service. In this case, YOU are the product or service, and the message that you want to convey

is that of your unique value to the employer. In order to do this, your letter must promote you to the employer by

highlighting your achievements and accomplishments.There are three basic parts to a cover letter :

AN INTRODUCTION – a statement of who you are and why you are sending the letterA SALES PITCH – an overview of your qualifications, skills, abilities, and accomplishments as related to the employer’s needs

A call to action – a request for a specific action such as an interview

FIRST PARAGRAPH – Immediately state the position you are interested in and the reason that you would be the best candidate for this position. If you are responding to an advertisement, state this. If you have been doing research into the company, this is a good place to mention it.

SECOND PARAGRAPH – Discuss your qualifications and show how the company will benefit from them. Highlight your special accomplishments. Consider using bullets to make these stand out. If you are responding to an advertisement, use this paragraph to detail how your background parallels the qualification requirements mentioned in the ad. 

THIRD PARAGRAPH – Make it clear to the reader that you would like to speak to them in person. Specifically ask for an interview and make sure that you include your telephone number and any special instructions to reach you. Alternatively, write that you will follow up with a telephone call on a specific date at a specific time and then make sure that you do.

Step 4: The closing of your letter should appear two lines under the body. Align this with your

return address. This may be either on the right or left margin, depending on the style

you chose. A simple “Sincerely,” will usually be fine. Under this, apply four lines

and type your name. Make certain that after the letter is printed, you insert your

signature above this.Type an enclosure line on the left margin and several lines under your name. This

may be in the form “Enclosure” or “Enc. resume”.

Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most respected professional résumé writing firms on the internet, Distinctive Career Services, LLC (dba Distinctive Documents). Since 1996, Michelle has empowered thousands of professionals with résumés that get results and win jobs fast. Get insider résumé writing tips that you won't find anywhere else at her website. Go now to www.distinctiveweb.comThe Internet’s Résumé & Career Marketing Specialists…Since 1996www.distinctiveweb.com resumes@distinctiveweb.com (800) 644-9694

Copyright © 2014 Distinctive Career Services, LLC

WWW.DISTINCTIVEWEB.COM