How to Write a Cover Letter

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Written by:
Paul Freiberger
President of Shimmering Resumes
San Mateo, California
www.shimmeringresumes.com

"How to Write a Cover Letter"

A good resume writer will make a point of explaining the benefits of an effective cover letter. We often think that a resume is our first impression. But the cover letter introduces the resume. It may even determine whether the hiring manager reads your resume.

Your resume is your best chance of convincing someone that you are the best candidate for the job on paper. Your cover letter can help with the persuasion.

Use the following tactics when you sit down to draft your cover letter:

Highlight your best features. The cover letter resembles lighting in a theater. It illuminates the key parts of your resume, so they make the biggest impression. It also lets you emphasize the fit between yourself and the position.

Remember, the firm isn't looking for the most impressive candidate overall. It doesn't want Albert Einstein for COO, as luminous as he might be. It's looking for the person who can best carry out the position. The cover letter and the resume have to make you look like the most qualified applicant on paper.

Be brief and relevant. A very long cover letter suggests a wandering mind and a wagging tongue. It also implies you don't understand the purpose of the letter, which is simply to introduce yourself, underscore points of interest, and seek action.

Follow a four-part structure. In general, the letter should follow this framework:

Introduction. Provide your name and, if helpful, your position.

Your goal. Indicate the position you seek. You can sometimes fuse the first two parts into the opening sentence.

Your key qualifications. Present outstanding qualities or achievements that will pique the employer's interest.

Request for action. State that you'd like an interview or the job itself. While submission of the resume implies that goal, make your interest clear. An explicit invitation is stronger than an implicit one.

Of course, shape this letter to the circumstances. There are no structure police.

Paul Freiberger is President of Shimmering Resumes, a resume-writing and career counseling service based in San Mateo, California. Paul is the author of several books and the winner of the Los Angeles Times book award. You can visit his website at http://www.shimmeringresumes.com.