How to Write Cover Letters That Increase Your Chances of Winning an Interview

Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.

On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview.

Interview Winning Cover Letters

Ok, you may not win any awards for the cover letter that you enclose to your resume, but you may increase your odds it actually getting read, if you follow a few simple steps.

1. Keep it brief. Your resume is the document that conveys your qualifications, therefore your cover letter need not go on and on about how wonderful you are.

2. Remember it serves a purpose. It is announcing you ? and your enclosed information, your resume.

3. Tell them what you're doing: I'm applying for the position of? Enclosed is my resume for the position of ?

4. Clearly state what position you're applying for. Don't assume the Human Resources person will automatically know what job you want or that they only have one opening.

5. Highlight a few of your strong suits. Although brevity is the key here, you don't want to merely say, "Here's my resume. Bub Bye."

6. Don't be redundant with contact information. All that pertinent information should be on your resume.

7. Don't staple your cover letter to your resume. Often photocopies need to be made and it just frustrates the person making the copies to have to remove your staples. Use a paperclip if you feel the need to attach it; else just send it on top of your resume.

8. Typos. That's an obvious one. It's hard to proof your own work. Find one other person to give both your cover letter and resume a glance over. You're dead in the water if your cover letter has misspellings, poor grammar or typos.

Below is a same letter you can use as a guide:
---

Date

Human Resources, COMPANY NAME HERE
RE: NAME OF VACANT POSITION

Enclosed please find my resume'. I am very much interested in working with you as your POSITION TITLE. As you will see from my enclosed resume' I am qualified in a variety of areas. (Or I am uniquely qualified for this position because of my vast experience in ?). My college degrees are in Business Administration with a minor in Management. I have spent the last two decades performing INSERT SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES.

I am anxious to discuss this opportunity with you further.

Respectfully,

Your Name ---

You as can see, the above cover letter is short and to the point. It serves a purpose of prefacing your resume. Don't waste your time going on and on and on. It will not get read. As it stands, you have a 50/50 chance that anyone will even read your cover letter. Are you willing to take 50% odds that it will be read, only to have a lousy cover letter that will essentially hinder your resume from consideration? Follow the above simple steps and you'll make a great first impression. Of course, it's up to you to have knowledge, skills and abilities to back it; but at least you're starting off right!

Roger Clark is senior editor at Top Career Resumes who provide free information to job seekers on all aspects of finding a new job and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.

---

Unemployment Survival: Creating a Sense of Security

In a time of economic downturn, international turmoil, company restructuring... Read More

How to Survive in Business Long Enough to Win

As a former human resources professional it has always intrigued... Read More

The Fallibility of Psychological Testing

Psychological Testing has become rampant across industries, more so in... Read More

Why Become A Truck Driver?

There are a great number of good reasons for someone... Read More

So You Want A Promotion - What Do You Need To Do To Get the Champagne Corks Popping?

The champagne corks have been popping to celebrate your promotion.... Read More

CVs And Resumes Sometimes Just Get In The Way

As a head-hunter and Career Coach I see so many... Read More

Practice Speaking

For many people, interviewing is not a natural act any... Read More

50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them

1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations... Read More

Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You?

PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially... Read More

5 Steps to Standing Out Above the Crowd at Work

Do you feel like one in a million at work... Read More

Writing A Great Resume, Part 1

Need a great resume to land that great job coming... Read More

Get Beyond Your Tasks

Ever hear the story of the two masons working side... Read More

Dressing Tips for Interview Success

Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas... Read More

Career Transitions: Creating Complementary Careers in a Day

Down-sized? Outsourced? Burned-out? Wizened up? That's what I said. Wizened... Read More

How To Get Promoted - Take Control Of Your Destiny!

It Is Up To YouSo, you want to get promoted.... Read More

The Role of a Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice

Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to... Read More

Should You Make A Career Decision Based Upon A Career Quiz?

Q. I'm about to graduate High School and I don't... Read More

Handing in Your Resignation and Serving Notice

Have you made the right choice? Before deciding to resign... Read More

Taking Job Loss Seriously

Anyone reading this article and hassuffered a job loss recently... Read More

Does Your Career Change Itch or Burn?

Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a... Read More

The Interviewable Resume

It is rumored that the only word William Shakespeare wrote... Read More

Job Interviews: Succeeding with Panel Interviews

These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of... Read More

Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic

A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used... Read More

Tell Me About Yourself

The need to tell people about yourself may present itself... Read More

Spiritual Practices Offer Peace and Acceptance

Facing career transitions and daily life challenges can leave us... Read More