Cover Letter Tips

Many people have second thoughts whether to send a cover letter or not. Some think that it is not needed, a resume is enough. But you must remember that your resume does not tell the reader the entire story why you are applying for a certain job. A cover letter IS important. No cover letter with your resume is like leaving your house with a shirt and no pants. You wouldn't do that, would you?

Here are reasons what makes your cover letter so important.

-          Your cover letter demonstrates your ability to put together sentences about what you offer in a new position and how you can add value for a potential employer.

-          This acts as your introduction. You don't expect to walk into someone's house through their kitchen, right? The cover is your entranceway. Here, you can enter with grace, set the tone of what the reader should expect to see on the resume.

-          This is an opportunity for you to highlight certain things that you might not have been able to include in the resume. A cover letter would be the optimal place to discuss such information and provide specific examples of what you have designed.

-          Your cover letter is part of the resume package. The 'package' is not complete without the cover. The reader can gain a better understanding of the candidate, what underlying skills the candidate possessed and how he might contribute to the organization.

Here's a good tip: If you want to increase the chances that your cover letter will be read by a potential hiring manager, include it in the body of your email and attach the resume. By doing this, the hiring manager will only have to open one attachment and can quickly read the cover letter when opening your email.