Let Your Cover Letter Do the Talking

By Gail Frank, Frankly Speaking: Resumes That Work!

Do you enjoy reading form letters? They don't hold your interest well, do they? Isn't it more enjoyable to read a well-written, personable

letter from someone who knows you? Targeted, personalized cover letters impact the reader positively. Learn to "let your cover letter do the talking" and employers will listen!

Cover letters are business letters that should inform, entice and captivate prospective employers. Too many job seekers follow outdated and conventional rules about cover letter writing. As a result, they write generic, hard-to-read, and ineffective letters. The goal is to create an easy-to-read letter that stands out from the sea of generic-sounding correspondence and makes the reader want to learn more about you. Give them a reason to read the attached resume!

RULES FOR READABLE COVER LETTERS

1) Focus on what the employer wants or needs. To do this, learn what the company does and how you can help it make more money. Present yourself as a solution to a current problem or situation they are facing. The key to success is researching each and every company to find out how you can help them.

2) Write to a person. Take the time to find the name of the person who has the power to hire you. It is not usually a Human Resources person, although you may send them a copy of the letter. Form letters announce that you are mass-mailing and are too lazy to find out who the right person is. Form letters also make no one accountable; you certainly can't follow up, and readers can throw the resume away without being caught.