If your CV is the cake your cover
letter is the icing on the cake
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| If your CV is the cake your cover letter is the icing on the cake |
Writing a cover letter is almost as important for a job seeker as writing a resume. The cover letter is always included as the main document in the résumé. Regardless of whether you use conventional mail, email, fax or other electronic delivery, it should always be sent with the resume. Of course, there are other tools that you use when looking for a job. Your cover letter and résumé will of course appear first, followed by follow-up letters, thank you letters after the interview, reference sheets, pay slips and cover letters. If you have good writing skills and resume writing skills, the other writing tools should be easy to create.
Your goal is to get the hiring manager's attention just like writing your resume. However, the method and format differ slightly. Your curriculum vitae covers all or most of your professional career and consists of one or two pages. Your cover letter is a very short page that serves as an introduction to the resume. The style of writing the cover letter should be straightforward and to the point and be able to quickly grab the reader's attention so that the reader wants to read the attached resume.
Many people tend to say too much when dealing with this type of writing. A good cover letter is short and full of energy and takes two or three important life points and highlights them. The old adage "tell them what you will tell them, tell them and then tell them what you said to them" applies to both your resume and cover letter.
For example, suppose you are a defense agent handling manager and are looking for a different position. Buzzwords in his work area are MRP, Lean Manufacturing, ISO 9000 and savings. Your writing efforts should reflect these buzzwords to show your value to your current employer and any future employer. Your resume explains how you achieved these goals. The cover letter merely informs the HR manager that you have met the requirements. An example of this would be two bullet points in the body of the letter that say ...
• Experience in quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000 and lean manufacturing.
• Proven results that enable employers to achieve significant cost savings through cost savings, inventory reductions, and on-time delivery to suppliers.
According to numerous surveys, the recruiter only spends about fifteen seconds on every resume and cover letter that he checks. With that in mind, your writing skills must be top notch so that this person can see your resume. Your resume writing skills must be just as good for the reader to interview you. In return, your interviewing skills must be excellent so that the HR manager can offer you the job. This long chain of hopefully positive events starts with good writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a good salary.