Writing Your Resume Cover Letter

A cover letter is said to be the most important part of a resume when you're applying for a job. Having a good one can make or break your job application. The resume cover letter is your opportunity to personalize your resume and target your skills. If your cover letter and resume don’t make the grade, they will quickly land in the “not interested” pile, and you don’t want that to happen.

If you have been sending in cover letters and resumes to several companies and you are qualified for the positions for which you are applying, yet you are not being contacted for interviews, the reason may be that your resume cover letter and resume are not standing out from the sea of others that the hiring managers are getting. Remember that just about every position vacancy announcement out there generates dozens or even hundreds of responses, so if you hope to get that much coveted interview, you need to have a cover letter that makes a lasting, positive impression.

Although resumes provide personal information, their basic structure is rather impersonal, so the resume cover letter can be a great place to let a little bit of your personality shine through and can add a touch of pizzazz to your resume. It is perfectly acceptable to be yourself in your cover letter, as long as you are the self that is in a business suit rather than a pair of board shorts and t-shirt with the rolling stones tongue and lips. In other words, stick to the professional side of your personality when writing your resume cover letter.

The structure of your resume cover letter should match, or coordinate with, your resume’s structure so it is obvious that the two go together. The perfect way to achieve this balance is to use one of the many resume software programs available as downloads or at your local office or computer store. Most of the resume software packages are reasonably priced and well worth the small investment you make.

In your cover letter, you should be sure to announce what position you are seeking, why you are the perfect candidate for that position, and how you can be contacted. If you are missing any of this basic information, the cover letter is not really doing its job, so be sure to include all the necessary details. You should also use the resume cover letter as your opportunity to point out the things you think the employer would find most valuable, just to be sure they don’t get overlooked. Whatever you do, don’t write a boring cover letter, and don’t forget to do what your mom taught you when you were little – say “thank you.”