Importance of cover letters
By writing an effective resume cover letter, you can improve your chancing of receiving an interview. Studies have proved that the vast majority of resumes that land in the dustbin are those that weren't accompanied by a good cover letter.
Your cover letter is the first thing that reaches the hands of a potential employer. If it is impressive, they will take a closer look at your resume. If it isn;t, they are more likely to toss your resume into the dustbin.
Here are three things to remember:
- The purpose of your cover letter is to get your resume read.
- The purpose of your resume is to get you an interview.
-
The purpose of an interview is to get you a job.
As you can see, cover letters carry more weight than resumes. They open the doors for an interview.
Your cover letter is your sales letter
That is true. Your cover letter is no different from a sales letter. It sells your resume; therefore it sells you. Unfortunately, many job hunters don't understand how important a cover letter is. They either neglect it or write a poor letter. They might have spent hours in writing a good resume, but all that time and effort won't bear any fruit if the resume isn't accompanied by a good cover letter.
Sections in this article
How to write a cover letterHow important are cover letters?
Cover letter writing and formatting tips
Are cover letters necessary?
Cover letter sample 1
Cover letter sample 2
Resume writing
Formal letter writing
IntroductionAddress and date
Salutation
Body of the letter
Subscription or leave-taking
The Tone and Language of a Letter
Personal Letter Writing Tips
Envelope
Example of formal letter and envelope
Formal Letter Sample 2
Sections in this article
Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2