Writing a Resume Cover Letter

A resume cover letter is kind of your opening introduction to your prospective employer. People often wonder whether to include a resume cover letter when handing in their application but it actually depends on the employer's preference. Some will require a resume cover letter, some will not. If they do require a resume cover letter then you need to do some research and do it properly. Prospective employers often read it first and if they are not satisfied then all your resume writing effort would have been all a waste.

You need to remember too, that the person reading your cover letter and resume maybe a very busy person and will only give your application a cursory glance at first. If it does not draw their attention because your resume cover letter is very un-appealing then gone will be your chances of getting interviewed and landing the job.

How to Write a Resume Cover Letter

First off you need to include the current date that you are making the resume cover letter. Put it in the upper left corner then skip about two to three lines before you write your address. You may include your home phone or mobile number in your resume cover letter but never put your work number especially if you like to keep your job hunting venture a secret. You don't want your resume cover letter to shout out your work number and if the recruiter calls ... and you are away ... and your manager happens to answer the call then it will not be very pleasant.

After putting in your complete address in your resume cover letter, again skip a further line or two. Here you will add the name of the person involved with the hiring, usually the human relations manager. It is very important that you put in the person's real name in your resume cover letter and not just a reference to him or her like "the personnel manager" or "the human relations manager". This will give the impression that you haven't thoroughly researched the role that you are seeking for and might not be genuinely interested. It is relatively easy to obtain this information. When recruiters post a job opening , they usually put in where you need to address your resume cover letter and to whom. If not, you can just visit the company if it is near and probably ask the person in-charge of the front gate as they usually hand out the the resume cover letter and resume to the hiring personnel and is likely to know their name.

After the managers name, write down their position in the next line of the resume cover letter. After that you need to include the company's name and address. It is important that you get this right otherwise you will be giving the wrong impression of not being genuinely interested to know facts of the company - not even their correct name and address.

When starting out the body of your resume cover letter, you need to use the proper title for the person you are addressing it to like "Dear Mr. Smith" or "Dear Ms. Smith". If you're not sure of the marital status of the lady you are adressing it too, it is better to use Ms. than using Mrs. and later finding out that she's still single. Worst is if you get the title wrong in your resume cover letter. Some names are misleading and you might end up labelling a woman "Mr" or the other way around. That is why it is also important to do some research when writing out your resume cover letter to avoid some potential embarassments especially if some information is not very clear.

For the first paragraph of your resume cover letter, tell the employer that you are aware that there is a job opening. You might include where you learned of the opening. Then say that you are genuinely interested in the role.

The second paragraph of your resume cover letter is where the bread and butter is. It is in this paragraph of your resume cover letter that you must try to sell yourself. Try to summarize the most important skills and experiences that you can offer to the company. You don't have to include everything in this part of your cover letter as most is already covered by your resume. What is critical are those information that are deemed important to the position that you are applying for. This way, it will generate an employer's interest and will encourage him to know more about you and your skills.

The last part of your resume cover letter might include that you genuinely believe that you can be a good asset to the company with all the skills and experience you bring and that you are available for interviews if the employer is interested in taking it one step further.

Appear positive and confident in your statements but don't oversell in your resume cover letter. You don't want to appear to be too full of yourself.

End your resume cover letter with a "Sincerely" then add some space before you write your full name. This keeps it professional and business-like. If you need to mail your cover letter and resume then your need to put your signature in your resume cover letter. Leave it as it is if you send it by email.

For a presentable and professional look of a resume cover letter, it is best to have everything flush to the left of the page.

This is how to write a resume cover letter that works.