Cover letter

[snugglegirl05]

What information do you include in a cover letter?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

There's lots of books and websites you can check too, I'm not sure there is one standard format, but what I've always tried to do:

Name and address, standard business correspondence format.

If sending it in advance with resume address it to the person posting the ad if known, hiring manager if known, or just address it to the company. If bringing it to the interview address it personally to the person you are interviewing with.

This is the opportunity to let a little bit of your personality out, explain what special skills or traits you bring to employment. If there is things you particularly excelled at try to talk about those, if there are things that make you happy in a work environment mention them, basically talk yourself up. Mention particulars about the company that you like or think need help - and how you will help: I've had my eye on your company since you introduced whatever new product line last year, I thought that was the perfect time to bring that to the market.... Don't be afraid to suck up a little, but make it about something tangible.

Write the letter as if it's a foregone conclusion that you will be getting the position ie: As your new purchasing manager I will.... NOT: If I am hired I will....

The last paragraph should tell the reader what to do next - but nicely: I can be reached at (phone number) between (hours) daily or you can contact me by email at(email) anytime. I look forward to hearing from you to schedule an interview to discuss in more detail how my(something mentioned previously) can bring your great company to the next level.

Sign

I haven't been job hunting since I got the new computer, but I'll see if I still have some old cover letters on memory stick, and if I do I'll pm them to you. I have seem to have pretty good luck getting jobs.

[mathnerd]

Think of your cover letter like the trailer to a movie. You want it to quickly grab the reader's attention and get them hooked so they want to read your resume. You don't want to rehash your resume. That gets boring. Word of advise from somebody who's read thousands of cover letters: if I'm not hooked in the first two sentences, my eyes glaze over and I don't even read the rest of it, let alone read the resume. Have I missed good candidates that way? Almost certainly. But when you've got 500 (or more) applicants for a single position, you've got to find some way of getting through the stack quickly.

[Gizmo]

Look at this: http://www.askamanager.org/2014/02/h...-versions.html

It should include things that make you a good candidate for the job and that don't speak for themselves through your resume/CV.