7 Tips for Writing Winning Resume Cover Letters

Writing a good resume cover letter is something you should seriously consider when preparing to send off your resume to potential employers.

Here are seven important cover letter writing tips:

  • Address the individual by name. If you don't know their name then use: "Dear Sir or Madam" or "Dear Human Resources Director".

  • Attract attention with a strong opening paragraph. Create impact. Give them a reason to keep reading about you.

  • Refer to your enclosed resume. Be specific in describing your skills, experience and accomplishments. Use actual examples of things you've done.

  • Let the employer know what you can do for them. What can you bring to their organization?

  • Keep the letter's tone of voice positive and professional. Be persuasive but don't come off like a cheap used car salesman. Remember to ask for the interview!

  • Double check your spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Have someone proofread the letter.

  • Sign your letter and keep a copy for your files.

    Writing a strong cover letter will help you (and your resume) stand out from the crowd. Hopefully, your cover letter will give employers a reason to pick up the phone and invite you to that all-important job interview.

    About The Author

    Copyright 2004

    Donna Monday writes employment related articles for http://www.get-a-job-interview-quick-tips.com.


    • More Resources

    Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
    Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices.
    How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream
    You'll get wet but the reward just might be a more fulfilling ride!In Survival is Not Enough, author Seth Godin says change is the "new normal." Rather than thinking of work as a series of stable times interrupted by moments of change, Godin says we "must now recognize work as constant change, with only occasional moments of stability.
    Rich Career, Poor Career
    What makes for a rich career? It is more than just the salary and benefits. A rich career is one that suits your talents and provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, as well as one that provides the right compensation.
    Stacking The Deck In Your Favor
    Many people do not bother to look at their own magnificence and without that view it is not likely that we will recognize the need for strategies to maximize our strengths. When we buy an outfit for a special affair, we automatically try to coordinate each piece so that they enhance one another and amplify our sense of "looking good" from head to toe.
    Learning a Foreign Language
    Many people love learning languages or would like to learn a language and use their language skills in a job. In today's global economy the demand for language skills continues to grow as governments, businesses and organisations build relationships with foreign interests.
    Is Your Resume Doing ITS Job?
    Is it opening doors to new opportunities? Does it compel the reader to think, "Hey! This applicant can ?put that one on top of the 'call in for an interview' pile!" Does it showcase what you have accomplished for past employers as well as what you can accomplish for the potential employer?Your resume is your personal marketing tool that must immediately convey to the reader that you CAN and WILL be a positive driving force to further their organization's mission. They have a need to QUICKLY get thru all the resumes received in response to their job posting so you've got to QUICKLY grab their attention.
    So You Want To Be a Nurse When You Grow Up?
    You're interested in becoming a nurse. How do you get into the field? First of all, you need to assess your basic interest.
    Handling the Dreaded Why Did You Leave? Question
    If you left your last job under less-than-ideal circumstances, you probably dread the "Why did you leave?" question that almost always comes up at job interviews. Here's how to handle it.
    Career Searching: A Vision Without A Plan is a Hallucination
    Success is not always something you necessarily find when you arrive. It may be the journey that gets you there.
    Want to Work for Yourself? Those Dream Jobs Dont Just Happen, Theyre Created
    While traveling in northern California last October, I happened to tune into a local newscast. The newscaster was telling his co-anchor that the speaker at that morning's Rotary Club meeting had to cut his presentation short because he was being flown down to Disneyland to carve elaborate Halloween pumpkins for the park festivities.
    Business Dress for Women: Making Impact
    Buying a suit can be an important investment when you are trying to improve your look for business or career advancement. Wearing a standard off-the rack suit for business or a job interview does not always mean success.
    Create A Rappin' Resume
    (Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to the cadence of the words below.)It's time to sell yourself.
    Dissatisfied With Your Job? Stop Putting Your Attention on What You Dont Want!
    If I were to ask you the percentage of time you spend thinking about what you don't want, what would it be? And the percentage of time thinking about what you do want?Experience with my clients has shown me that most of us spend a lot more time thinking about what we don't want. Some examples when it comes to our job include:-I hate my commute.
    Writing CVs and Resumes for Professionals with Examples
    Tips on writing your Skills and Achievement Based CV (ABCV) by Mike Kelley at First ImpressionsConducting a job search is like marketing and selling a product -- with YOU as the product. The best way to market yourself is to go through this sales sequence.
    Five Mistakes That Can Derail Your Job Search
    No matter how much time and energy you invest in job seeking, critical mistakes can derail your efforts. Consider the following job search scenario.
    Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps
    The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over.
    For Effective Decisions, Look Beyond Career Stereotypes
    You've probably been taught not to stereotype people based on race, religion or sex. But when you make a career or business decision, do you still make decisions based on stereotypes?"Insurance sales reps must be gregarious.
    4 Niche Job-Search Tips
    Looking for a job on the Internet can be daunting. Where do you start? What Web sites are best for your industry?If you're suffering from "job search overwhelm," take heart.
    Tips for Terrific Telephone Interviews
    Telephone interviews don't just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting.
    Out Recruit The Competition
    We hear from our clients that they "hope the candidate takes the job." Hiring a candidate shouldn't be a guessing game.

    More Careers & Employment Information:

    Related Articles

    Stop Searching for A Job and Start Attracting Professional Success!
    1. Assess - Evaluate your skills, interests and abilities.
    Those Little Things
    Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I tried one a neighbor recommended who seemed friendly, competent and eager to please.
    Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies
    If only there were no questions involved in getting a job!If you've been following NBC's "The Apprentice," you know who Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is. She's had the honor of being fired by Donald Trump (and others, according to "People" magazine).
    Creating Traffic Jams
    It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a newspaper to find a job any more. With a seemingly endless array of career sites, mailing lists, corporate sites and newsgroups, job seekers have more options online than ever before.
    Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates
    As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments, we spend a significant part of our effort preparing both the candidate and the client employer for prospective interviews. Preparing each side to meet and interact removes much of the predisposed tension that is inherent to the interview process on both sides.
    Tips for Requesting a Raise
    You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your boss think so?Here's how to go about convincing your boss that you're really worth more than you're being paid.
    Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers?
    Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent of the internet, which has proven to offer great supporting facilities and convenience for online education. However, just like everything else with pros and cons, the internet has also opened doors for the widespread sale of bogus online degrees.
    Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
    Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities.
    Who Should Write Your Resume?
    This is a question we get a lot. It seems rather easy to do it yourself if you have access to a word processing program and printer and feel comfortable writing your job history.
    Employment Law: Unfair Dismissal - Employer Succeeded in Changing Terms of Employment
    Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of employment of employees, however, employers must still take care.In Scott & Co v Richardson [2005], the Dependant, Mr Richardson, who worked for a Scottish firm of debt collectors, refused to accept his new terms of employment which required him to visit defaulting debtors during the evenings.
    Benefits of Maintaining a Career Portfolio
    Have you ever tried to contact a past employer only to discover they are no longer in existence or your former manager has moved on and been replaced by someone else? Of course, if you are an avid networker this shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes time to provide proof of your experience, education and accomplishments. A portfolio of your career should be developed and maintained using all documentation of your career history in order to overcome any problems that could arise in proving any aspects of your career.
    Interview Preparation Made Easy: Create An Interview Preparation List
    Here's a quick way to compare your own job experience and qualifications with those that your prospective employer is looking for in a specific job position. Make an "Interview Preparation List".
    Get a Life Why Dont Ya?!
    It's okay to take your job seriously, to be a stickler for professionalism, and sure it's wonderful to take your responsibilities seriously. However, you have to be a bit careful when you allow your job to become your LIFE.
    Dont Forget to Say, Thank You
    One of the biggest mistake for job seeks is to not follow up an important interview with a thank you note to the people who interviewed them. Human Resources experts note that as few as 10% of interviewees take the time to say, "thank you.
    Careers-Changing Jobs: The Fantasy of the Ideal Job
    Most people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it's operations in a totally different context.
    Why Culinary Education
    If you are thinking about a career in culinary arts then studying in a culinary school is a must. You may be a great cook but you will never become expert learning culinary arts yourself.
    Acing The Interview
    It's no secret that there is a lot of competition for writing jobs.What makes or breaks you in an interview is more of a mystery that some writers may try to unravel for years.
    How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts Yours On Top
    Many people would love to get a better job. And most of these same people have the proper training and skills to achieve this goal.
    Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design
    There is one little practice that is vital to generating the interest of potential employers. It is critical, but very few job seekers actually do it.
    Is A Career a Calling or Choice?
    How much of our career path is destiny and how much is free will? In my opinion, it is 50/50. We are given a life map at the beginning of our lives, and there are things we are meant to learn, people we are meant to meet, work we are meant to perform.