Ask ten recruiters and hiring managers if a cover letter should be included with the resume and you may get ten different answers. Some people never read the cover letter, others don’t consider a resume unless a cover letter is attached. However, most will agree that there is no harm in attaching a cover letter so you may as well. And since some feel that a cover letter is necessary the safest route to take is to include a professional, concise and customized cover letter. Here are some rules to follow when preparing your cover letter:
-
MAKE IT TYPO FREE – don’t let it ruin your chances of being called for an interview because of spelling and grammatical errors.
-
MAKE IT APPEALING – if mailing, it should be formatted like a proper letter. If emailing, it should be set up as a letter as well but does not require the address sections.
-
MAKE IT THE BODY OF THE EMAIL – if sending the resume via email, avoid sending the cover letter as a second attachment but rather make the cover letter the body of the email and the resume the attachment.
-
MAKE IT SELL YOU – some recruiters and hiring managers view the cover letter as an example of your writing ability and style. Impress them with how you put together this document.
-
MAKE IT SPECIFIC – customize the cover letter for the specific position you are applying for. Avoid generic cover letters.