How do I write a cover letter? Follow the steps
March 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Cover Letters
Introduction
The letter is intended to complement your resume and additional information about yourself to provide. The cover letter is the first impression a potential employer you get.It is not sent as a courtesy, but as an introduction.
The ideal letter
An accompanying letter should be concise and prefer no longer than three paragraphs. There must be what you want to do for the employer and why you are suited for just this job. The letter should at least ensure that your resume is read.
The style of the accompanying letter should be reasonably formal and business and match the resumes you send. The letter must be typed in a clear font and a good quality white or cream-colored paper printed, preferably the same paper that you use for CV. If your letter and resume by e-mail, make sure that they do business like.
Why should you get the job?
After the opening paragraph follows the paragraph in which the employer can read why you are suitable for the job and what your qualifications are. Why should he take you? This is the most important part of the accompanying letter. Learn decide whether an employer to your resume looks or not.
You need two or three of your main plus points and specific information about your training and experience. List items for which you are sure that they relate to the job to which you are applying.
Positive closure
Let your letter at the end not as a candle night out, with only a meaningless’ Sincerely ‘or’ sincerely ‘. End the letter with strong, proactive wording. Your goal is to be invited for an interview, thus: ‘I would like to clarify my letter in a personal interview. I look forward to your prompt response. ”
Close your letter with ‘Yours sincerely’.
Five tips
• The letter always a concrete person, whether you are applying for a job or an application sends. It makes no good impression ‘Mr’ letter to the manager that you aanschrijft a woman. If you do not know to whom the letter should establish contact with the company to name the right person to find out. Ask how his or her name is spelled.
• In the opening paragraph, you let the reader know why he writes. If you write to apply for a vacancy within the company, you must make clear what it is and where you’ve seen the ad. Give name and date of publication where the ad was. When you open applications should outline what kind of work you want.
• It is important that you are interested in the position to which you are applying and that you show that you have the necessary knowledge about the employer. You can gather information about the company by, for example on the website of the company to look to the literature and newspapers to ‘scan’ on general information.
• Explain why you just want to work with this company and stress what you can do for the company. Avoid terms such as’ I think I take your company a lot of experience can apply ‘or’ This is an area of my expertise that I always wanted to develop. The employer will take you to what your company can do, not what you think is to learn.
• Trap no open doors, such as: I am writing you to apply for the post, as you can see in my CV, etc. Start each paragraph with other terms rather then directly relevant to, for example, I am confident that my legal experience makes me a suitable candidate for this position and add to my CV for further information.
Check for completeness
A checklist to make sure your letter contains all what it should contain:
• To whom should you send the resume.
• Have you the letter addressed correctly?
• Does the letter of enthusiasm for the job?
• Let you in the letter show that you understand the employer?
• Make your letter clear what your employer offer you?
• Close your letter with positive end?
• Have you double checked the letter and no misspellings or grammatical errors?
Your letter and resume sending
Make sure that you as a follow-up phone contact to verify that your resume was received.
Post
This is by far the best method. Even if you send a CV by e-mail, always send a copy by mail after. Use an A4 envelope with a hard back. Print your resume on paper of good quality on a printer with high resolution.
E-mail
Send your CV by e-mail in different ways. When you insert your resume in the body of the e-mail, formatting elements can sometimes disappear. This message looks messy. Save your resume as a Word document and send it as attachment to your e-mail.



I agree, cover letters should complement your resume. It should be a brief introduction to yourself and it is a great place to add a little more ‘why’ to your correspondance. Point out what why you want the job, why you would be a good fit. Here are some sample cover letters – http://www.idlogik.com/resume/sample-cover-letters/