Cover Letters - How To Make Them Work For You

June 01, 2011

Often times candidates will apply for a job online and not include a cover letter. A cover letter can explain several things about your resume that could be a concern for a hiring manager. A cover letter can be crucial in convincing the hiring authority to view your resume.

There are several reasons a cover letter can work in favor for a candidate. For example, if a resume states a candidate worked in California for one year, South Carolina for two years and Virginia for one year, one could assume the candidate is a ‘job hopper’ and disregard the resume. However, in reality, the candidate’s husband is in the military. Another example, a candidate is applying for a job in insurance after 6 years of working as a Personal Assistant. One could assume that the candidate is a ‘serial applier’, someone who applies for everything, and disregard the resume. However, in reality, the candidate is looking for a career change. Both of those examples can be explained in a cover letter.

Writing a cover letter, as writing a resume, can be a daunting task. The upside, a cover letter should be very brief. With hiring managers reviewing hundreds of documents a week, the last thing they will do is read a two page cover letter. The cover letter should make the hiring manager want to look at the resume.

The first paragraph [two to three sentences] of the cover letter should include why the candidate is interested in the position available, “I am interested in this position because I was laid off at XXX Company.” The second paragraph [three to five sentences] should include why/how the candidate is qualified, and state accomplishments or experiences to support why the candidate is qualified, “I am qualified for this position because I have X years of experience in the industry. At XXX Company, I accurately managed a client database of X people and successfully planned X events per week.” The final paragraph [two to four sentences] should be the close and request interview, “I have attached my resume and would like the opportunity to speak with you at your convenience.”

There are several sites that are helpful in creating a cover letter. For candidates who are confident in their writing skills; http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
For candidates who are interested in a more plug and chug with the option to edit;
http://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/free_cover_letter_creator.shtml

Happy Writing!

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