Why You Should Write a Cover Letter When Applying for a Job

The largest mistake any job searcher can do when applying for a position is not creating a cover letter. Many employers and recruiters won't take an application seriously if there isn't a cover letter included. In my own experiences in the office, I've seen my supervisors throw away multiple resumes over the fact that a cover letter wasn't attached. Without the cover letter, it seems as though the applicant may not need the position enough or they were just applying for multiple jobs and not caring what they were in regards to.
It's important to write a cover letter because...

1. It introduces the applicant to the employers
2. It draws attention to you and persuades the recruiter to read your Resume and anything else you attached.
3. It states the reason why you want this position, why you would be the BEST person for the job and why they should chose you
4. It will state when you are available to begin working

When writing a cover letter you want to try and follow these steps.
1. When writing a cover letter, it must be professional. Remember, this will be the first impression the recruiter will have in regards to you. Do not use text speech (such as LOL, or smiley faces :D ) because it takes away from your credibility and you will appear juvenile and not serious.
2. Ensure to carefully read the Job Posting. This may be a given to some, but there have been multiple times where I have seen people apply for a position and in the cover letter is applying for another job. When reading the job posting, take the extra time to review the minimum requirements. If you don't have certain requirements, it's okay. Just state in your cover letter what experience you do have and why/how that could pertain to the requirement.

Job Search Picture

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3. Use a general cover letter format. You don't want to write just one sentence stating "I'm the one you want for the job, so bring me in for an interview and you'll see." and you don't want to write a three page short story about why the employer should hire you. Remember, the recruiter is highly busy and is going to skim through resume after resume. You want to write just enough to grab their attention. Below is the format you would want to use for best results.

• Your cover letter format must start with your contact information (i.e. name, email address, mailing address, phone number and the date),
• then state the employers contact information (if you have it).
• Include salutations (Dear Mr/Mrs. <name> or if there isn't a name included, you could always write in Dear Recruiter or <Company Name>.
• An Introduction Paragraph which states what position you are applying for and why they should call you in for an interview.
• In the next paragraph, you will want to explain what you have to offer the recruiter such as your qualifications and experience that would pertain to the job and how the employer would benefit from you. Use bullet points to emphasize your talents and qualifications to make them stand out.
• In the last paragraph, thank the employer for the opportunity and for considering you. You may want to include the date you are available (if not available now) and also how you intend to follow-up.
• You want to end your cover letter with a complimentary close (click here for a list of complimentary closes if you are stuck. I like to use Respectfully yours.)

4. Proofread your Cover Letter. A good technique that I like using is reading the sentences backward. Read the last sentence first, and keep going back until you end at the first sentence of your letter. This way, you are reading the sentences a little differently than you normally would, and you may pick up a few mistakes you might have missed previously. Also, if you don't think you are catching enough mistakes, you can also ask a friend or family member to read your cover letter and ask them to help you edit it.
5. One last thing to consider when sending your Cover Letter and Resume. If you are sending this information via email, please use an email where the recruiter will take you seriously. If you are applying for a job where it states "Must be detail-oriented and highly organized," and you send your resume and cover via an email like lazybeerbelly@noname.com or sexykitty@noname.com it will just prove that you aren't detail oriented and will just make the recruiter not take you seriously. Use an email that either has your name, i.e jsmith10@noname.com or landersonengineer@noname.com.
All in all, it's important to send a Cover Letter with your resume. It's an introduction to you for the employers and will be the one thing that sets you apart from the thousands of other applicants that are applying for the same position.