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Help With Cover LettersAhh, the comfort of a steady, well-paying job that you love.. OK, so most of us don't have that, but we'd like to. Finding a job when you are umemployed, or finding a new job while currently employed, is one of the most stressful, least favorite tasks that we face. No one likes reading through want ads or internet job sites like Monster.com trying to find the perfect job and then get noticed in the sea of resumes that hiring companies have to sift through. But unless you know the person who is hiring and have a personal connection, there often is no other way to get through that door besides a resume and a job application. There are a lot of sites that help you with your resume, and lots of services that will even write and format and print your resume for you.
Writing a Good Cover LetterMost cover letters follow the same basic format, but a lot of people need help with cover letters. First, they should be addressed properly at the top, with the name of the person you are writing to, their title, company name, and address. You should also include the date and and RE: (reference) marks as needed, ie, if there was some prior contact or a specific job code you are supposed to mention. Your salutation should be professional, as in "Dear Ms. Silverback:" - this is not a time to get too personal and call people you barely know by their first names. In your opening paragraph, you should quickly highlight why you are writing - any personal references or contacts you may have that directed you to the company, any special qualifications or experience that make you the perfect candidate for the job, etc.Keep the first paragraph short and to the point - 3 or 4 sentences at most. The main body of your cover letter should then expound upon the introduction and go into more detail as to your background, education, experience, special industry contacts, and any examples you might provide of your skills or talents that apply to this job. You should try to keep a cover letter to one page, so your body should be perhaps one longer paragraph or two smaller ones - you don't need to spell out your life story here, as there will be plenty to talk about in the personal interview if your cover letter is successful. In the final paragraph, be sure to request an interview or whatever the next step would be, tell them the best way to contact you, and thank the reader for their time. Many people who like the pro-active approach instead say they will be contacting the company at some future time and they look forward to speaking with them. Personally, if I were a hiring manager, the last thing I would want is 50 people threatening to call me when I am not interested in them. It is up to you to decide which approach you are more comfortable with, but clearly the company DOES NOT want to hear from every applicant in person. Cover Letter Samples - Cover Letter TemplatesMost people like to see some examples and samples of real cover letters. You can see some formatted examples here: COVER LETTER SAMPLE #1, COVER LETTER SAMPLE #2, COVER LETTER SAMPLE #3. You can use these as templates for writing your own letter, but remember your letter should be personalized and customized for the recipient. Another site with some sample cover letters is QuintCareers.com - they have letters that cover a number of situations - internship cover letters, recent college grad letters, referral cover letters, cold contact cover letters, classified ad response, email cover letter, and more. A final resource both for help on writing cover letters and sample cover letters is http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/coversamples.htm.Some people wonder if it is OK to send a cover letter and resume without knowing the name of the contact person there. While you can just send and address your letter to "Human Resources Dept." or "Hiring Manager", it is always best to have the name of a contact person that should receive the letter. If you don't know their name, you can always call the receptionist and ask.
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