Importance of Covering Letter

Job seekers frequently send a cover letter along with their CV, It is a way of introducing themselves to potential employers and explaining their suitability for the desired position.

Your cover letter and resume are going to be the very first impression any employer will have of you so you need to get it right. You want to give them enough relevant information so they see that you are qualified for the position but do it quickly enough that they don't get bored and move on to the next candidate. That is why you should think of your cover letter and resume as your 30 second commercial on why an employer wants to hire you.

Tips for preparing a good cover letter:

1. A brief cover letter is best! Keep your cover letter to one page only.
2.Do your research on the company before writing your cover letter. Whenever possible, mention an article or other piece of information that will grab the reader's interest from the beginning. Referring to an article in the local paper or some bit of information on the companies website in your cover letter will go a long way. This is one of the tips on cover letter writing that will make a drastic and immediate impact on hearing back from employers.
3.Take the time in your cover letter to match your skills to their needs. This is another one of the tips on cover letter writing that sounds very obvious but so few people do. If you have done your research on the company you are applying to, you should have some idea what their business is about and how it might be changing or growing. Before you write your cover letter really take a lot of time thinking about what skills you have that will be useful for the company.
4.Don't use any type of "gimmicks" in your cover letter. Some job seekers feel that the only way they can stand out from the crowd is to do something outrageously different in their cover letter and resume. While this strategy may impress managers in the graphic design or other creative fields, it most industries it will hurt you. Since the recipient of your cover letter don't know anything about you except your cover letter, the first impression is that you are "strange", desperate for a job and just plain old unprofessional.

5.Keep the tone of your cover letter positive. Top 10 Mistakes On Cover Letter: Do not make the mistake of boring the reader with your cover letter. Try to avoid the mistake of begging in your cover letter. Don't tell them how bad your situation really is. Not personalizing your cover letter is a huge and very common cover letter mistake. People put out the same generic broad cover letter to every position they apply for. I cookies cutter cover letter is very obvious. It shows to the employer a lack of effort. Making your cover letter to short can really hurt you. Just like not personalizing your cover letter it shows a lack of effort. It also doesn't serve the purpose of a cover letter; to get a potential employer interested enough to review your resume. Do not try to be funny in your cover letter. Forgetting to put in you contact information is probably offender #1 on the list of the top 10 mistakes on cover letter. Not checking your cover letter for mistakes. Waiting for the employer to take the next step. Most cover letters end with some form of " I look forwrd to hearing from you. " This is a huge mistake on your cover letter. Let's be proactive and go after it. You have nothing to lose except a job you didn't have. Try " I will follow up on Thursday to discuss my qualifications."