A professional resume is critical to a successful job search and an enticing cover letter is the key to having your resume noticed! HR professionals and recruiters are accustomed to reviewing cover letters within a matter of seconds noting most are typically generic and quickly discarded.

If you want your cover letter noticed, make it personal! This is your opportunity to relay some important personal details related to your professional aspirations and accomplishments which may not be included in your resume. Also, unlike your resume, your cover letter will be written in the first person.

My position in Canada is being eliminated and I am not open to relocate to another global business unit.

I have numerous project accomplishments I wish to share with you.

Make it personal and impressive. Don’t be shy when it comes to bragging about your accomplishments. You did it! These accomplishments must be backed up in your resume and clearly relayed in a detailed and quantifiable manner.

I renegotiated various agreements to keep the project on track and without sacrificing quality.

I conceive and deliver large, high value, high profile solutions.

I have led teams peaking at 100-persons located at various points across the world.

Making it personal is not just about you, you need to assure the reader that you are addressing this cover letter to them and not just anyone who is willing to read it. Do your homework. The effort you put into your cover letter will lend assurance to the reader that you will put that extra effort into your job. Resources are abundant to secure information regarding the performance of most companies or organizations.

I can rectify under-performance and a dysfunctional business unit.

Your organizations CSR initiatives and employee involvement indicate this position to be a perfect cultural fit.

If  you are searching for an innovative and persistent leader able to shift the company positively and competitively forward, please contact me for an interview. I can make a difference!

What is more personal than a name? If you are able to address your cover letter to the individual who will be reading it, you will establish a positive first impression and a personal connection that could present you with your next job opportunity.

The need to accompany a professional resume with a cover letter is as basic as offering a handshake, signing a card, saying thank you or the greeting at the beginning or end of a phone call. All may be taken for granted as a common courtesy, but you can be assured that by omitting any of the above, you will miss an opportunity to generate a positive and lasting impression. A cover letter sets the stage by enticing the reader with a personal connection and a professional introduction that is expected when submitting a resume. A generic letter addressed to the “resident” or a cover letter addressed “to whom it may concern” or “Senior Marketing Manager” is no match for one which is personally addressed.

A cover letter can be a powerful selling tool if it is professional, personally addressed, contains pertinent information to the company and position and includes highlights of your accomplishments. All are criteria for each type of cover letter. Here are a few more points to ensure your cover letter is a powerful selling tool:

• Format your cover letter consistently with your resume regarding the font type and header
• Include full contact information as found in your resume
• Adjust right and left margins alike and leave consistent white space at top and bottom
• Check for spelling or grammatical errors
• Obtain a contact name and full address for the recipient
• Clearly introduce yourself and the reason you are submitting your resume
• Highlight accomplishments from your resume that are pertinent to the position
• Do not include information that is not available for validation in your resume
• Note information about the company to reinforce your interest and due diligence
• Choose industry/job related keywords that are current
• Advise if you are willing to relocate
• Recheck for spelling or grammatical errors

For further information contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer.

Are you fully articulating your soft skills in your cover letter? Hiring criteria for some employers may revolve more  around hard skills, specific areas of expertise and relevant degrees, but there are many organizations interested in those soft skills relative to their corporate culture and conducive to an established team of employees.

A BNET article, Why I Hired Someone Who Showed Up Uninvited as told to Joseph Conway by Michael Shore, CEO, FLS Energy is an excellent read from the employers perspective on hiring practices. Vision, enthusiasm, resiliency, ethic, gutsy; these were the skills that not only secured the position but led to a key, long term role within the company.

The importance of soft skills should never be underestimated, nor the significance of a cover letter. Your professional resume will list both your hard skills and soft skills but it is your cover letter that provides the ultimate tool to sell your soft skills and many employers are interested in hiring the whole package and not just a degree.

Are you customizing your cover letter to the position you are seeking and selling your soft skills? Contact Elite Resumes to obtain a free critique of your cover letter from an executive career management professional to ensure you secure your next job interview.

If you are applying for a job, your professional resume must be accompanied by a professional cover letter. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to sell yourself directly to the hiring professional or recruiter. Unlike your resume, your cover letter will be customized for each position you apply for.

A “Direct” cover letter is the type of cover letter used to apply for a specific job posting. Directions on submitting your resume and cover letter will be included with the posting and must be followed to a T. Remember most hiring professionals are looking for a reason to eliminate candidates. Don’t give them one.

Some job postings will divulge the hiring company and some include only the recruiting company. And there are many that are posted by various recruiters as well as the hiring company. Invest the time and effort to fully research the position. Sometimes it’s as simple as a google search for the first “line” of the job description to discover the details. 

Anyone can submit a cover letter and a resume but if you want to position yourself above the competition, do your due diligence in discovering the details and then incorporate the information in your cover letter. Did you uncover a contact name? Is the company renowned for their corporate social responsibility? Have they been awarded a Top 50 employer? What reason do you have for wanting to work for them? If you are responding to a recruiter, does the recruiting company have a well established reputation or maybe an international clientele? Everyone will notice your extra effort and appreciate the acknowledgment or a genuine compliment.

Your cover letter is a selling document as is your resume so sell yourself! Highlight key accomplishments from your resume in your cover letter. Your goal is to impress the reader! You included quantifiable proof of your achievements in your resume, don’t omit it in your cover letter.

Do you have a tag line? Don’t hesitate to keep the readers attention right to the end of your cover letter by adding it as a P.S.,  “My tenacity, diligence and determination will drive your business to new heights. “

If you don’t pay attention to detail when sending out critical documents such as your cover letter and your resume, what message do you think that sends to an employer? If your lack of attention to detail results in spelling or grammatical mistakes in your cover letter or resume do you think an employer will want to hire you and pay you to make more mistakes? Why should an employer put their faith in you to represent their company when you are not able to submit a cover letter or resume free of errors? These are documents that have the potential to open up career opportunities for you and you haven’t made the effort to pay attention to detail. 

Review the entire resume and cover letter and pay attention to detail. Yes, we know the cover letter you are submitting is a template for various job applications as your experience and accomplishments aren’t going to change. But it should not look like a fill in the applicable blanks with job title and date cover letter. Proof the entire document and make the effort to research the company you are applying to and note your enthusiasm about  joining a top 50 best employer. Although your accomplishments don’t change, you may have the option of selecting ones with more relevance to the position. Carefully review the instructions for submitting your cover letter and resume. Who, where, what and when?

Recently I received a cover letter dated June 2nd that should have been dated August 18th and the position that was referenced was spelt wrong. Do you think a decision maker would consider this person as a potential candidate?

Don’t miss out on an opportunity. Pay attention to detail and you will be recognized as a viable candidate throughout your job search.

If you are sending out your resume, it must be accompanied by a cover letter! There are five main types of cover letters; advertising, direct, pain, networking and recruiter. Your cover letter enables you to customize your information appropriately for each submission of your resume. Each type of cover letter requires unique information from the other.

The recruiter cover letter is perhaps the most general with regards to your talents and skills as you are not applying for a specific job or organization so it is imperative that you sell yourself to the recruiter as a potential candidate for a variety of positions and companies. As with your resume, always concentrate on your accomplishments. If you don’t impress the recruiter you will not get the opportunity to interview with their clients.

A recruiter will most likely be filling positions for more than one client, many of which could be hiring in a variety of locations. Are you willing to relocate? This could be a key factor in a recruiters decision so be sure to include details if you are willing to consider relocating.

Be sure to note that you are interested in current or future search assignments as they may not have something for you today but you do want to be kept on file and be remembered for any future opportunities.

Sell, sell, sell!

“I am an expert! I’m a problem solver! I have an impecable track record for delivering results! Your client will be impressed! Please call me to discuss my further accomplishments, too many to note on my resume.”

Selling yourself is one key point that is common to every type of cover letter.  

The days of a paper resume are gone! If you were considering stuffing your resume in an envelope and affixing postage, think again. HR professionals and recruiters alike expect a properly formatted, professionally written resume with an accompanying cover letter to be submitted online. Your online proficiency doesn’t stop there. You must also have a significant personal and professional online presence. The best way to find out what the majority of recruiters will discover about you is to google yourself.

Maintaining a consistent and professional name for each of your online profiles is important. Unless you have a very unusual name, it may not be in your best interest to use only one initial with your last name as you could end up lost in a sea of people with the same handle or possibly mistaken for someone with a less than stellar reputation. Consider establishing your online presence using your full name, Harold J Smith, rather than H Smith to differentiate yourself. Eliminate all of the dots and dashes and numbers that are often automatically generated and use your proper name. Most online networking sites give you the option to customize your URL and generate one based on the user name you choose. How does this relate to your resume? A resume written in 2009 must contain your Linkedin address with your contact details.

Also included in your resume is your email address. The question to ask in 2009 is not whether or not you have an email address on your resume, but how old is your email address and is it professional? Today there is no excuse! Email addresses are easily acquired and they’re free. If you haven’t updated yours in years or you’re still using the one you created using a nickname, create a new one that can be used professionally. Recruiters are interested in forward thinking individuals who stay current. An AOL address is perceived as outdated and a Hotmail address lacks professionalism so update your resume with an appropriate email address.

First impressions are key to your success and the contact information you provide on your resume is your first impression on paper, or rather, on the computer! Without an impressive resume it is unlikely you will be given the opportunity for a job interview. If you want to be taken seriously in your pursuit of an executive position and increase your chances of a job interview, submit a professionally written resume with at least one online address and a professional email address.

Not sure if you have a resume that will get your foot in the door? Don’t take any chances! Contact us for a free resume critique today!

Do you have a completed LinkedinProfile? If you are questioning the significance of a presence on Linkedin, please take the time to review the 2009 Social Recruitment Survey Results from Jobvite.

You may not be in career transition today but there’s no guarantee that you won’t be next month, next year or the year after that. Here are a few results from Jobvites’ survey:

80% of the companies surveyed are using or planning to use social networking to find and attract candidates this year. 95% of those using social networking sites for recruiting are using Linkedin. Those using Facebook increased from 36% last year to 59% this year. Twitter is now ranked third with 42% of recruiters using it to source candidates.

Since Twitter was not even ranked last year it is evident how quickly an online presence has evolved into a critical  job search tool that rivals that of a resume!

If you wish to succeed in your job search it is imperative to add an online presence in addition to your professional resume and cover letter. According to these survey results, I recommend starting with Linkedin!

There are different types of cover letters and the “pain” cover letter is one type that has evolved as a sign of the times. It is a very specific and powerful document addressing particular issues relating to a company experiencing problems or pain and relating it to your particular realm of expertise. As a professional sales person, it could be a company that is experiencing a drop in market share or a reduction in sales. For a Production Engineer, it could be a company experiencing continuous break downs on their manufacturing line. Once the issues have been identified and if you feel confident in resolving the problem, write a detailed letter to the President, CEO or senior executive with the responsibility for that particular function and issue. Outline how you see their issues and present a brief synopsis on how your skills and knowledge can rectify their problems. Be detailed giving examples of how you have increased market share, driven sales or realigned production line operations with minimal investment from your previous employers.

The pain cover letter shows you are proactive, someone looking for new challenges and ready to tackle critical business issues and it is an intriguing way of luring a potential employer into calling you for an interview. They will want to know in greater detail what contributions you will make.

You will need to go hunting for these opportunities, staying current with news and business magazines to discover the companies that are experiencing trouble. Then position yourself as the chief problem solver and go in with gusto explaining how you will tackle their dilemma.

The pain cover letter offers another perspective to your job search. It works. Make it work for you!     

Your cover letter is an important element to marketing your resume! Getting your resume noticed is your objective and a compelling, well written cover letter will do just that. 

Unlike your resume, cover letters are written in the personal pronoun and there are a variety of types, including:

Recruiter – Networking – Direct Mail – Advert – Pain

Click on the following to find an example of a Direct Cover Letter:

For examples of other cover letters,  http://aneliteresume.com/resume-writing/sample-resumes/cover-letters/

Seize the opportunity to exude confidence and sell your skills with an enticing, personalized cover letter. More importantly, don’t forget to ASK FOR THE JOB!

The competition is fierce! HR professionals are receiving more resumes and cover letters than ever before. Will your cover letter and resume get noticed if it is 1 of 1,000?

With so many resumes being submitted for available positions the goal of all HR professionals or Recruiters is to reduce that number to a manageable list of viable candidates. A common first step in this process is to electronically scan your resume for keywords. If you are applying for an executive position and the company wants a candidate with an engineering degree, they might scan for “P.Eng” or “MBA”.  For a sales and marketing position they may scan for “P&L”. Have you included the necessary keywords in your resume to keep you in the running?

Okay, you’ve passed the scanner but is your resume free of spelling mistakes or gramatical errors? Will it exceed the expectations for this professional document, easy to ready, bulleted points, standard font, white paper, consistent page borders, no excess white space? If your resume doesn’t look impressive, neither do you. 

The next step in the few seconds of attention that your resume will be given is to discover your attributes and achievements. If they don’t jump out at the reader, no one is going to spend the time to go looking for them. Clear, concise, quantifiable and impressive results will be noticed. Do not waste your time with vague comments such as, “saved the company money”.  

If your resume has generated enough interest at this point to put you above the crowd, you are one of the few but you could still miss out on the job interview if you have neglected to include some pertinent information. If you have missed including the dates anywhere in your resume you will generate a negative impression as it will be perceived that you have something to hide. Finally, the most critical information of all is your contact details. There are still those who are not comfortable putting their phone number on their resume and still many who have not realized the significance of an online presence and do not have an email or LinkedIn address. If you are not a phone call away or a google away, you may have come this far only to be dropped out of the running.

Your resume and cover letter are the most critical components of your job search! You need them to get in the door and if you don’t get it right, you could be missing out on the job opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t take the risk, call a professional resume writer.              

Your job search must entail a wide range of methods and strategies if you are going to succeed in today’s competitive job market. Job search tools that will elevate your visibility include a professionally written resume, extensive networking and utilizing online resources. If no one knows who you are or that you are looking for a job, how will you be found? You can search job boards but results show a success rate of approximately 3%. Networking is the number 1 job search tool for job seekers and today we have more online resources for networking than ever before.

The following online resources provide networking opportunities, job search tips and advice, job postings, personal profiles, company profiles, resume posting, facts, figures, surveys and so much more. Take advantage of these online resources to help you succed in your job search:

Monster.ca – “your calling is calling”
Workopolis.com – “Canada’s biggest job site”
JobAngels – A grassroots movement to help get people back to work, one person at a time.
red canary – “opportunity meets community”
JibberJobber – “Career Management 2.0″
About.com – “Jobs and Careers”
Indeed – “one search. all jobs. Canada”
Eluta – “The search engine for new jobs in Canada”
Jobhawk.com – “soar higher”
Alltop – “All the top Careers news.”
ZoomInfo – “find people and companies”
Simply Hired – “Search over 150,000 jobs in Canada”
LinkedIn – “Relationships Matter”
Naymz – “Next Level Networking”
Xing – “Global networking for professionals”
CareerAdviceBlogs.com – “top career advice headlines”
Twitter – Who are you following?

The Best Sites to Find Job Listings, by Alison Doyle

If you are still looking for more online resources, the following will provide a wealth of business information and the opportunity to find details  and employee reviews for companies you may be interested in working for.
BusinessWeek
Canadian Business
Glassdoor.com

Elite Resumes is dedicated to providing extensive information to help you manage your career. Please review our website for free resume samples and cover letter samples. We welcome comments and are pleased to answer any questions you may have.  Martin Buckland, Principal of Elite Resumes is fully accredited in a wide variety of career management fields.  Contact him for a free resume critique today! Martin is also the sole Canadian representative for ExecuNet. Sign up for the next meeting and join a professional group of networkers dedicated to managing successful careers.

Online resources offer volumes of information related to your job search on resumes, cover letters, personal branding, networking and more. Here are just a few articles available online offering valuable information:

Top 10 Tools for Landing a Better Job, by Kevin Purdy on lifehacker. Number 1. Write a killer resume for a new career path!

A Cover Letter is not Expendable written by Phyllis Korkki in the New York Times tells you what a cover letter is all about, what it should say and why, even in this day and age, you should never send your resume without one.

Use social media networks to create a “personal brand”, Brianne Sanchez reports in the DesMoinesRegister.com providing advice from Mike Templeton, recently named director of social media and Web strategy at the  Iowa Hospital Association, who says, “Before blasting out a “brand”, sit down and do a little self Q&A”.

Eight Little-Known Tricks for the Job Hunt, by Liz Ryan, The Savvy Networker online at SFGate.comhome of the SanFransciso Chronicle. Do you have a signature on your outgoing email? Does your resume sound human? Check out these great tips from an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace.

So much information available at your finger tips!

As far back as you can remember in your job search you needed a resume and cover letter. Today, despite what you hear about Web 2.0, social media, online job sites; despite what you hear about the current economy, job losses, record unemployment rates, a 1.3% job growth rate and despite what you hear about developing a personal brand, you still need a resume and cover letter!

Your resume is the basis for all of your job search actions and most often you will not send it without a cover letter.  Yes, gone are the days of simply applying for a specific advertised position, hand delivering or mailing your resume and cover letter, followed up with a thank you letter and then sitting back to wait for the phone to ring. Today, you need to do this and a whole lot more if you are going to get noticed in an extremely competitive job market!  You will need your resume perfected and ready at the click of a button on your keyboard. Your success in today’s job search market will also be influenced by whether or not you can answer YES to the following questions:

Do you have a significant google ranking? Do you have a presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Monster, Workopolis, Naymz, Xing, Plaxo…….? Are you involved in professional networking organizations? Have you told all of your family, friends, acquaintances, neighbours, social club members and anyone else you can think of that you are looking for a job? Are you on Facebook? Have you established your own unique personal brand?

Much more is needed to succeed in today’s job search  market but the actual foundation is still your resume and cover letter!

Contact us today for a free resume critique.

As a Master Resume Writer who provides a free critiquing service, I see too many mistakes, inexcusable errors that will cost you an interview opportunity. First impressions count; there is no room for a mistake.

A resume is one of the most important documents you will create; it can make or break you, so make sure it’s perfect. What does an unprofessional-looking resume tell a decision maker for a potential new job? It tells him/her that you are sloppy, careless, not serious and much more.

Most human resource professionals and recruiters see so many resumes each day, they have the luxury of being able to choose from a large pool of potential and probably equally qualified candidates. They can afford to be choosy about whom they call for an interview. Even one error is one too many. If your resume contains misspelled words, incorrect punctuation or typographical errors, it will likely be discarded; you are gone!

Your professionalism is reflected in the quality of this document or indeed in anything you present to the company. Are you impressed by an inferior sales or PowerPoint presentation? The same applies to a resume, it’s your sales tool. It displays how you will perform as an employee. Even if your job does not include secretarial or clerical duties, you should be able to articulate correctly what you do and how great you are at completing assignments.

When writing your resume, if you are unsure of correct language usage, have a friend or family member with strong language skills critique the resume. It will probably be the most helpful criticism you ever receive. The key is to proofread, proofread and proofread before you dispatch.

If you are not sure how to spell a word, consult a dictionary; do not rely on your word processor’s spell check. Also, if you are crossing borders between the U.S. and Canada, be aware of different spelling and minor punctuation differences.

Confusion often arises over the spelling of words such as “to” and “too,” “their” and “there,” and “here” and “hear.” It is crucial to learn the correct spelling and application of these frequently used words.

Tighten up and polish your grammar. Double negatives, slang, wrong tense or gender of words and poor usages resonates; you look uneducated.

Your career documents reflect your educational level and your degree of professionalism. To be considered for any position and win against the competition, you must present yourself at your very best. It will greatly enhance your chances of securing an interview.

Here are some bloopers I have recently seen in real resumes submitted for a critique.

• ‘Computer illiterate in the MS Windows environment.’
• ‘I have lurnt MS Word 2000 computor and spreadsheet progroms.’
• ‘Left my last job due to maturity leave.’
• ‘Recipient of a plague for Salesperson of the Year.’
• ‘Seeking a party-time position with potential for advancement.’
• ‘Accountable for generating an additional $2.3 million anal revenue.’

I am constantly amazed by how badly people portray themselves in a resume. Failure to put considerable time and effort into correctly writing this critical document could cause you to lose out on opportunities.

Many of my clients secure my services after spending fruitless hours attempting to write their own resume. Others seek me out because they have no wish to risk their chance of employment by presenting a sloppy résumé, and prefer to relax and trust a professional.

Resume writing is defined, it’s an art. Seek out a resume writer who will work for you, one who is experienced, certified and will meet your needs. You wouldn’t trust a dentist to fix your car, would you?

My peeves are: avoidable mistakes, typos, poor punctuation and grammar, and failing to present oneself at one’s best. Here are some tips to set you on the right path.

Underselling

A resume is a brag document. We have become a very accomplishment based society. Sell yourself! To be blunt, you are a product, the resume is the package and you have to put it out to the market place. Numerous people just outline their job descriptions and responsibilities. This is not good enough. The trend across North America is to highlight accomplishments. Decision makers assume at various levels you have certain responsibilities, there is no need to endlessly list each duty performed. You have to be bold. Stand up and be counted! Fly above the competition!

Incorrect Format

Times change, and resumes evolve over time. I have been writing resumes for over a decade, and I have seen tremendous changes! Many people still use a format suitable for the nineties; outdated formats don’t work. The format for optimum performance is the combination; it works extremely well for all my clients. Don’t list your personal details or use a photograph. Omit the phrase “references available upon request,” avoid graphics and use only white paper. Choose a font that makes you stand out, certainly not Courier or the word processor default Times New Roman.

No Direction

A lack of direction and focus in a resume will make an employee think the job candidate is not too sharp! Many times, when I read a resume submitted to me for a critique, I am hard pressed to know exactly what industry the person is in. The “Pro-Jective” beneath your name and address is where you present to the reader the position you are looking for. This keyword savvy section portrays your hard and soft skills’ what you could bring to the table. If you are a human resource professional, say you are a good listener, are empathetic, and highlight the specialties within this broad profession. Is it compensation & benefits, change management, or payroll. Speak Human Resources and nothing else but!

Templates

Do you use the MS Word resume templates? I call these the “Bill Gates” resumes. What does this portray to the reader? Certainly not creativity! As a Master Resume Writer I can recognize a template from a mile away. Steer clear of templates at all costs. Although they save time, they will work against you. The objectives I see from templates make me want to cringe. “A challenging position where I can utilize my skill sets to provide growth and opportunity.” Yuk! Everyone wants a challenging position to enhance their careers and assist the company. A very weak statement doesn’t do anyone justice.

Rules

There is no perfect resume. I visit the local bookstore and see the book entitled “The Perfect Resume.” This send shivers up my spine. I have yet to see a perfect resume, even with my experience and certifications. I don’t create the ideal resume, it’s very subjective and there are many variables. I set people on the right path and my resumes have been highly successful for my clientele from all professions and levels. There are many conflicting messages about page lengths, one page versus two page. Education first or last? Depends again on the circumstances, everyone is special and everyone deserves a document to make them shine.

Finally, words cannot convey how important a professional resume is to you. It can make or break you. A well written and presentable document can propel you onto great and exciting challenges. Good luck!

You have presented an impressive cover letter, an enticing and professionally written resume and you are contacted for the job interview.  Once there, you are nothing less than brilliant during your interview in front of a panel of three!  So why was that the last time you heard from them?  One of the most common reasons a highly qualified job applicant is eliminated as a candidate is a BAD JOB REFERENCE!

Potential employers are going to check your references so be sure your due dilligence goes beyond the cover letter, resume and job interview and secure those positive job references before you apply for a new  position.

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Coach and fearless networker, I never miss an opportunity to get a reference.  Here is just one of the many references I have received:

“On relocating to Canada from the UK, I realized that without employment experience in the new country I needed an all important edge to find that new career. My old résumé was out-dated and not tailored to the employment requirements in Canada.

I researched and contacted several résumé writing services but Elite Résumés from the very outset was different. You treated me professionally and with integrity but most importantly you treated my time as a valuable commodity.

The all important interview process where your expertise and experience left no career stone unturned, was a process where I surprisingly learned a great deal more about myself. The great attention to detail and effort you applied resulted in a résumé where all my experience and skills were clearly specified far beyond anything I expected.

After the résumé writing process, I discovered the real value of choosing Elite Resumes. The numerous phone calls to check on my progress and always being ready to offer valuable assistance and advice were greatly appreciated, especially from someone with vast experience and a network of human resource organizations and contacts. You referred me to a network group where I found the job notice for the position I secured.

It was this advice and knowledge combined with the résumé, which led me down the path to new employment in Canada, meeting many of my career expectations in five short weeks. I feel sure this would not have been possible without the services and added assistance you offered me.”

— J Richmond

One of my recent posts, “You Need a Cover Letter!” was based on personal experience and knowledge.  If you had any doubts of the importance of a cover letter or are one of many job seekers who believe a formal cover letter is no longer neccessary, read on.

A new study conducted by an independent research firm and developed by OfficeTeam shows 93% of senior executives feel that a cover letter is valuable when evaluating prospective job candidates.

Dave Willmer, executive director of OfficeTeam said, “Submitting a resume without a cover letter is like not shaking hands when meeting someone for the first time.” “Those who aren’t including cover letters with their resume are missing an opportunity to make a good first impression and set themselves apart from other job applicants.”

A meeting without a greeting, a bagel without cream cheese, a roller coaster without an incline, prime rib without horseradish, a shirt without trousers, salt without pepper, a resume without a cover letter?  It’s just not right!

A resume should never be sent without a cover letter. It is your opportunity to introduce yourself, show an interest in the company or position you are seeking, draw attention to your resume and motivate the reader to interview you.

Usually your cover letter is the first contact you have with a potential employer so be sure it is well written and reflects your knowledge of the employer’s needs.

There are three parts to a cover letter, the introduction, the body and the closing. The introduction should identify the position you are applying for, your source of information and describe your interest in the position and the organization.

The body of your cover letter should relay your understanding of the position and how your qualifications make you an ideal candidate. Include examples of skills, qualities and experience that will contribute to the organization. Do not simply repeat what is in your resume.

In closing, your objective is to secure an interview so clearly state how this will happen. You can request an interview or include a statement of your intent to follow up with a phone call.

P.S.  Don’t forget to sign it!

There is a misconception about cover letters. Many job seekers don’t bother to send cover letters because they assume they won’t be read. Wrong. 

¬         Why is this person sending me this resume? 

¬         What could this person do for me or someone I know? 

A cover letter serves as a brief introduction to your resume, written in the personal pronoun. It informs the reader why you are sending the resume, for example, applying for a job, asking for an informational interview, or to discuss potential opening. It emphasizes your assets, attributes and business competencies that are most relevant to the position and corporate culture. A strategically written cover letter should position yourself favourably in the mind of the decision maker.