Tips for Making Resume Cover Letters

Resume cover letters are extremely important, though many jobseekers don't fully realize it. A well-written cover letter can mean all the difference in the world, or at least become the deciding factor in whether your resume gets read or cast into the circular file.

Apart from just plain forgetting to write them, one of the most common cover letter mistakes is to use them to duplicate everything you already wrote in the resume. Instead, the cover letter should complement and expand upon the resume.

Imagine that you're the one sitting at a desk with piles of resumes to look at. All of them are printed on decent white paper. All of them are covered in objectives and skills.

Many of them have letters, some of which are quite long. Does that sound overwhelming? Then set yourself apart. The cover letter needs to get attention from the reader and give them plenty of good reasons for them to turn the page.

So where to start? You can always learn by example. There are many example resume cover letters online. There are examples that cover several different jobs in dozens of different formats. You can find them all by using your favorite search engine.

Of course, if someone well-known to the company or interviewer has referred you and given you permission to use their name in your cover letter, do so! Networking referrals are a powerful tool, and can ensure that your resume at least gets read.

Next thing you need to do is study the job description. Write references to it and describe how your skills make you suited for the job. The easy thing to do would be to repeat everything that's on your resume, but this is a golden opportunity to take everything a step further. Remember the job description, and tell the readers how your skills will benefit the company.

First and foremost, imagine that the interviewer is reading and asking, "What's in it for me?" On some level, that's probably exactly what the interviewer is thinking when he or she reads resume cover letters. If your answer sounds good, you'll get the interview!

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