Monday, February 4, 2008

COVER YOURSELF WITH A GOOD COVER LETTER

Most job applicants understand the importance of the resume. But on average, most don't bother to send a cover letter to their prospective employer. For professionals seeking employment, sending a resume without an accompanying cover letter is tantamount to a spit in the employer's eye. You must show that you really want that job! Beg for it! But politely, in a nicely worded letter that shows how much you want it.

The cover letter is essential for "problem" areas in someone's work history. I have yet to find a client who didn't believe that he or she had a problem resume. Those beliefs stem from fear and insecurity about whether he or she can make the grade. But a cover letter can only make your situation better. You'll seem more professional, and you can address those issues in which you find yourself lacking, and turn the negative into a positive.

Let's look a career change, for instance. The reasons for switching one's life goals often cannot be adequately addressed in the resume, which customarily only has enough room for factual information (job history, locations, years, titles, and duties). Let's say you're a teacher seeking a pharmaceutical sales job. In the resume objective you can say you want a career change, but there's no place to explain why you're jumping from a "cushy" position as a teacher into the tempestuous world of sales. A cover letter can solve the problem.

However, in the cover letter, one or two sentences can be carefully crafted that will explain why you seek the change. A parent returning to work after taking time off to care for children would need a cover letter to explain the situation. A breadwinner moving to another state or area to be closer to an ailing relative can explain in the cover letter.

Even if there is not such a dramatic reason for your job search, a letter will help get you a step closer to getting that interview! Approximately 10% of all applicants are interviewed. Our resumes and cover letters vastly increase your chances of being among that 10%.