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How to
write a cover letter
You are not the only applying for a job. How do you
stand out among all those applicants? Research indicates employers
receive 400-500 resumes for every open position. It seems like an almost
impossible task to weed through them to find the best candidates to
interview.
Employers have to manage these resumes into a
manageable number and cover letters play an important role in this first
screening. How they do it can give you some insight in to how to write
cover letters that will make the cut. Because, if your cover letter
doesn't pass muster, your resume won't even get a look.
A cover letter and resume should be perfect to get
the favorable eye from the recruiter. Perfect means there should not be
any typos or grammatical errors.
Employers typically
won't even consider a candidate that they cannot see is qualified at first
glance.
That first glance at your cover letter is your one
opportunity to make a good impression and make it to the next round.
It's certainly easier to write generic or blanket
cover letters than it is to write a cover letter specifically targeted to
each position you apply for. However, if you don't invest the time in
writing cover letters you're probably not going to get the interview,
regardless of your qualifications.
Make a Match
This one takes some time and effort and it's not
always easy, but, it's important. Take the job posting and list the
criteria the employer is looking for. Then list the skills and experience
you have. Either address how your skills match the job in paragraph form
or list the criteria and your qualifications.
Sample Job Posting
Event Tickets Sales MANAGER. Conduct, oversee
subscription and ticket sales for events. Generate and maintain reports,
perform accounting activities related to box office revenue, oversee
operations. Requires customer service skills and accounting experience.
Cover Letter Example 1: Paragraph
As Sales Manager for the FM 200 Company I was
responsible for customer service, ticketing patrons, and generating and
maintaining sales reports. In addition, I maintained records and
accounting reports for all box office transactions.
Cover Letter Example 2: List
Box Office Manager Requirements:
Conduct, oversee subscription and ticket sales for events Generate and
maintain reports, perform accounting activities Customer service skills
and accounting experience
My Skills and Experience:
- Box office management including ticketing,
maintenance of records and ticket database management
- Maintain and generate reports
- Box office accounting transaction and reporting
- Customer service, seating, and ticketing
patrons
As you can see, in both cases, the
candidate has written a detailed cover letter that should pass the first
screening. In order to pass that screening, you must specifically address
the job ad and state why you are qualified for the position.
Given this competitive job market, it is
critically important to target your cover letter and your resume. That way
the employer knows exactly why you are qualified for the position and why
they should consider you for an interview.
What to do if you don't have the right stuff? It's
a certainty that the person with ten years of child care experience, and
no computer experience, who applied for an Oracle programmer position at a
colleague's company won't get an interview. I hate to sound pessimistic,
but, if your qualifications don't come close to matching the criteria for
the job, I would save your time and the company's time and not apply. In
most cases, there are too many qualified candidates whose cover letter and
resume will make the cut.
Instead, focus on applying for jobs you do qualify
for and spend some time gaining the additional skills or education
(volunteer, take a class, etc.) you need to prepare to apply for positions
that are a rung or two up the ladder.
Sample1
Cover Letter Format
Sample2
Cover letter format
Sample3
Cover Letter format
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