AM I WASTING TIME ON THE COVER LETTER?

Cover Letters are an essential part of any application. 

 The Cover Letter is always an essential part of your application.  This is true from the hiring authority that uses it to determine if they will look at your resume to those that never look at it.  In fact, Career Directors International’s 2012 Global Hiring Trends Survey (http://www.careerdirectors.com/members/docs/hire_survlow.pdf ) included the cover letter in its survey.   They found that 26% of hiring authorities considered the cover letter a required part of the application.  So without a cover letter you are disqualifying yourself from 1/4; of all job applications. 

 Is a cover letter a waste of time if the hiring authority does not read it?

 The cover letter is never a waste of time!  Even the hiring authority that skips past the cover letter and goes directly to the Resume, knows they had to go past a cover letter to get to the resume.  It makes the resume look better just like curtains make a room look better.  If you have ever moved into a new location you know how cold and in personal a room looks when there are no curtains on the windows.  Even very bland curtains will make the room look more inviting.  Heck, during my bachelor years; even an improvised beach towel or poncho liner curtain would make the room look more inviting. This is how the cover letter will always work to your benefit.  The hiring authority wants the candidate that will put in the most effort into making them money.  The best indicator of this is how much effort the candidate puts into making themselves money.  If you are going to take shortcuts on your application by not including a cover letter, this means that you will also take short cuts when working for the company.   If your still not convinced that it will help, take a look at Kristin Johnson’s post “6 Reasons Why Cover Letters Count” at http://www.careerealism.com/cover-letters-count/

 How do I write a Cover Letter?

 The internet is loading with great examples.  A good place to start to get some great ideas is from the web page: http://www.bestcoverletters.com/ .

 What does a Cover Letter look like?

 There are a lot of excellent styles and as you write them they will develop into a personal reflection that best represents what you have to offer the potential employer.  At bare minimum, you cover letter should follow this general outline:

 General Outline For A Cover Letter

Your Name

Your Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Your Phone Number

Your E-mail Address

Date of Letter

Employer’s Name

Employer’s Title

Company Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Dear [Employer’s Name]:

INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH:

Capture the reader’s attention by telling them why you are writing.  Things that may be included are: What you are applying for, how you heard about the opening, common interest you have with the reader, something that shows your insight about the company.

BODY:

This is your opportunity to make the connections between your background and what the company is seeking. 

CONCLUDING INFORMATION:

Close with a positive indication of your interest in the opening.  Provide information about the best way to contact you and thank them for considering you. 

Sincerely,

Signature

 Current listing of job openings can be found at:  http://dvopmf.blogspot.com

Thank you 

Matthew Flynn

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mrmatthewflynn 
Twitter: @pef273 
Blog: http://dvopmf.blogspot.com/