Cover Letters

veritas_libertas

Hello again everyone,

How do you guys feel about cover letters? Any advice? I honestly hate writing cover letters, I am unsure what my approach should be for each company.

Job searching really does stink...

pipemajor

The cover letter is perhaps the most important part of your application. It is the part which you can directly address the potential employer and tell them exactly why you:

A) Want the position

What makes you uniquely qualified.

I hate job searches as well but can tell you from experience, the cover letter is the make/break factor in getting an interview to a position you're at least moderately qualified for.

Every interview I've had has been because of a strong cover letter.
Think about it - the job description will usually state they are seeking candidates with excellent communications skills. The cover letter is a striking example for you to demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate.

veritas_libertas

pipemajor wrote: »

The cover letter is perhaps the most important part of your application. It is the part which you can directly address the potential employer and tell them exactly why you:

A) Want the position

What makes you uniquely qualified.

I hate job searches as well but can tell you from experience, the cover letter is the make/break factor in getting an interview to a position you're at least moderately qualified for.

Every interview I've had has been because of a strong cover letter.
Think about it - the job description will usually state they are seeking candidates with excellent communications skills. The cover letter is a striking example for you to demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate.

Thanks for the reply, I hadn't thought about how important it really is. Guess it's time to start working on that. Any advice more advice?

skrpune

I'd say make a standard cover letter that you then tailor to each company you send your resume to. Remember, you're the product and they're the consumer, and you want them to buy. So your cover letter should be your pitch as to why you feel that you would be a great addition to their team - if all you do is talk about how cool you are without tying it into how it would be beneficial for them to have you on board, then it might not be sending the right message.

networker050184

I've never really used an actual cover letter. When I have sent in a resume its always been in email and I just add a little something in the email body and attach my resume. Has worked for me so far. If you do use one make sure its well written though.

djhss68

networker050184 wrote: »

I've never really used an actual cover letter. When I have sent in a resume its always been in email and I just add a little something in the email body and attach my resume. Has worked for me so far. If you do use one make sure its well written though.

Exactly what I do. Just write a few lines in an email..."Interested in the position, would be a great fit, blah blah blah", and attach my resume.

veritas_libertas

That's my thing about a long cover letter, I know I will have to rewrite it for every job application I send in.

dynamik

veritas_libertas wrote: »

That's my thing about a long cover letter, I know I will have to rewrite it for every job application I send in.

You could create a generic one and then add a paragraph or so to that to tailor it to whatever job you're applying for.

veritas_libertas

Okay, thanks for the help. I guess this will give me some things to go on.

blargoe

If I'm emailing a resume directly to an employer, I just use the email for the same purpose as a cover letter. If I'm using paper, I use a formal cover letter. If I'm working with a recruiter, I might not bother at all... depends on the situation. But yes, you do want to tailor it to the company... having a standard letter that you might add to or tweak is the thing to do.

msteinhilber

I recently overhauled my cover letters and resumes after sitting down with a professional for some tips and to analyze my current documents.

I always used a cover letter in my job searches before, now I still do but it's just more refined. I first identified various common positions that I would apply for that had a tendency to focus on certain skill sets. I crafted both a cover letter and resume that highlighted my skills on those areas, previously my resume was a bit more long winded because I included a lot more info in bullet points than it has now - now I just include the bullet points that are tailored to the skills a position is asking for.

My cover letter templates have a couple paragraphs that remain basically static, one that highlights my skills they are looking for, and the final paragraph summarizing why I'm a good fit. It also has a section I tailor to the organization I am applying for, I use this if I can dig up some info on the company that I like about them - philosophies, mission statements, vision statements, etc - anything that I can relate to and highlight that as another reason I feel I would be a good match. This section also shows that I've done my research which can help out too.