As a recent high school or college graduate now in search of a full time job you must do all you can to standout among potential employers. Among your tools is your resume. Keep in mind that a good resume needs to be accompanied by great cover letter. Every day millions of teenagers and young adults submit their resumes to prospective employers, hoping to land their dream job. But, most of those resumes either end up in the trash bin or filed away for some “future use.” Only a very small percentage of applicants actually have resumes that catch the attention of their would-be employers. Why is that? What is it that makes the difference between having your resume noticed and having it discarded? Simple, it’s the cover letter that gets the attention of those in the position to offer you a position.
As you begin thinking about the cover letter you will include with your resume, you must have a clearly defined purpose for your cover letter. Remember, your cover letter is basically your introduction to your potential employer. So, you must take your cover letter seriously and you must apply your best writing skills to the production of that letter.
One of the most crucial things to note about your cover letter is that it must be concise while also providing enough essential information to catch the interest of your reader. You want to make sure you include information about your education and qualifications for the job to which you are applying. A good cover letter can mean the difference between getting a personal interview and not hearing back from the company.
You should always plan on submitting a cover letter with your resume in the following situations:
1. You are applying for job that you found out about through an ad or an online job listing site.
In this situation you definitely want to include a good cover letter with your resume. And, you want that cover letter to contain a good introduction and a clear statement of the job you are applying for and how you heard about that job.
2. You are submitting an application for a job with a company that has no current openings.
This type of resume submission is very similar to cold calling. Since there is no current job opening for which you are applying, you need a good cover letter to introduce the company to the skills you have which you believe will be beneficial to the company.
3. You are applying for a job based on the referral of a friend or someone else connected to the company to which you are applying.
In this situation, your friend may have told you about a job opening at his company. Or, you may be working for the company already and a co-worker has told you about an opening in the company that would be a promotion for you. In either situation, you want a good cover letter that highlights your skills so that the company representative reading the letter knows that you are a good fit for the company.
Writing a cover letter for your resume is not a difficult task. But, it is task that can give you an advantage when applying for a job. That’s why it is essential to learn as much as you can about writing cover letters for your resume.