Common Myths as it Relates to Cover Letters

1. It is better if its handwritten.
False. If I receive a handwritten cover letter the first thing that I am going to think of is that the potential employee is not computer literate. That may not be the persons intention, but the focus is now on the handwritten cover letter and not the individuals resume. The candidate may be trying to connect on a personal level, but its actually preventing a serious look at the prospects resume.

2. A cover letter introduces your resume.
False. A cover letter is a tool that is as important as a resume. Remember, the cover letter or resume is not going to get you the job. It merely a tool to get you an interview. A good cover letter gives the reader a chance to see if the resume is worth looking at. Certain highlighted words or phrases could entice the reader to look closer at the resume.

3. A resume does not necessarily need a cover letter.
False..again. A cover letter and a resume is like…peanut butter and jelly….Batman and Robin…..salt and pepper…socks and shoes…you get the picture. A cover letter should accompany every resume you send out. You are putting yourself at a large disadvantage when a cover letter does not come with your resume.

4. You can use a generic greeting like “to whom it may concern”.
False. Try to do some research. Find out who may be looking at the cover letter. The email address may reveal some information. The more personal you can make it the more of a chance you have in connecting with the reader and ultimately get that interview!

5. Keep the cover letter to just a paragraph or a few short sentences.
False and sort of true. There really is not a hard fast rule that supports this. A cover letter needs to convey your message about you. In most cases a cover letter should be one page in length. Anywhere from two to six paragraphs.

Cover Letter Format

Your Very First Impression to your New Boss!

We always want to make a good first impression. In some instances we want to make a great perfect impression. This could be when starting a new job, a first date (and second, third...) or meeting with a potential client. We put in a lot of time and sometimes money to create that perfect resume. How much time do we take in comparison in writing a cover letter vs. our resume. A resume can have a tremendous amount of details that is extremely important to sell yourself to a prospective employer. However, the cover letter is the introduction to the resume. It tells the reader "Why should I look at this resume". Therefore, its imperative that a cover letter is a perfect great first impression.

Who needs a Cover Letter?
If you are sending a resume.....you need a cover letter. I have received hundreds of resumes through out the years without cover letters. I don't necessarily just throw them away but the prospect certainly did not add any value to their job seeking efforts. I may glance the resume over and then file it away. However, when a cover letter accompanies a resume, I will usually read the letter to see why the prospect has sent me their resume. A good cover letter will give me a qualification summary. If its a position that I am seeking to fill, then I will look closer to their resume.

Do's and Donts

• There cannot be any misspelled words in a cover letter or resume. Misspelled words could be a simple mistake that is interpreted as someone who doesn't care about details. It could be true. Its definitely a turn off.
• Make the letter sound natural yet professional. I would rather read a letter that is written from the prospective employee than to read a copied sample letter from a website or cover letter book.
• Always try to address the person that is hiring you. Do some research and try to find out who is going to read that letter. I feel more of a connection with the person who actually addresses me by name than the very stiff :"To Whom it May Concern" salutation.
• Try to show that you know something about the company in your cover letter. Don't recap the company history but at least acknowledge a fact or two about the companies mission and how it relates to you.
• Don't be afraid to highlight one or two keywords as it relates to the advertisement or posting and your experience. If you were applying for a quality control position, you may want to highlight the word 'quality control" in your resume as it applies to your experience.

Strong action words will also help your cover letter stand out from the crowd. A thesaurus is always handy when constructing a strong cover letter. Here are a some words that may help you to incorporate your proper cover letter format:

accelerated - accomplished - achieved - addressed - administered - advised - allocated - appeared - applied - appointed - appraised - approved - arranged - assessed - assigned - assisted - assumed - assured - audited - awarded - ability

briefed - broadened - brought - budgeted - built

cataloged - caused - changed - chaired - clarified - classified - closed - collected - combined - commented - communicated - compared - compiled - completed - computed - conceived - concluded - conducted - conceptualized - considered - consolidated - constructed - consulted - continued - contracted - controlled - converted - coordinated - corrected - counseled - counted - created - critiqued - cut - capable - capability - capacity - competence - competent - complete - completely - consistent - contributions

dealt - decided - defined - delegated - delivered - demonstrated - described - designed - determined - developed - devised - diagnosed - directed - discussed - distributed - documented - doubled - drafted - demonstrated - developing

earned - edited - effected - eliminated - endorsed - enlarged - enlisted - ensured - entered - established - estimated - evaluated - examined - executed - expanded - expedited - experienced - experimented - explained - explored - expressed - extended - educated - efficient - effective - effectiveness - enlarging - equipped - excellent - exceptional - expanding - experienced

filed - filled - financed - focused - forecast - formulated - founded

gathered - generated - graded - granted - guided - global

halved - handled - helped

identified - implemented - improved - incorporated - increased - indexed - initiated - influenced - innovated - inspected - installed - instituted - instructed - insured - interpreted - interviewed - introduced - invented - invested - investigated - involved - issued - increasing

joined

kept - knowledgeable

launched - learned - lectured - led - listed

made - maintained - managed - matched - measured - mediated - met - modified - monitored - motivated - moved - major - mature - maturity

named - navigated - negotiated - nationwide

observed - opened - operated - ordered - organized - oversaw - outstanding

participated - perceived - performed - persuaded - planned - prepared - presented - processed - procured - programmed - prohibited - projected - promoted - proposed - provided - published - purchased - pursued - performance - positive - potential - productive - proficient - profitable - proven

qualified - questioned - qualified

raised - ranked - rated - realized - received - recommended - reconciled - recorded - recruited - redesigned - reduced - regulated - rehabilitated - related - reorganized - repaired - replaced - replied - reported - represented - researched - resolved - responded - restored - revamped - reviewed - revise - record - repeatedly - resourceful - responsible - results

saved - scheduled - selected - served - serviced - set - set - up - shaped - shared - showed - simplified - solved - sorted - sought - sparked - specified - spoke - staffed - started - streamlined - strengthened - stressed - stretched - structured - studied - submitted - substituted - succeeded - suggested - summarized - superseded - supervised - surveyed - systematized - significant - significantly - sound - specialist - substantial - substantially - successful - stable

tackled - targeted - taught - terminated - tested - tracked - traded - trained - transferred - transcribed - transformed - translated - transported - traveled - treated - trimmed - tripled - turned - tutored - thoroughly - thorough

uncovered - unified - updated - upgraded - utilized

verbalized - verified - visited - versatile - vigorous

waged - weighed - widened - won - worked - wrote - well educated - well rounded - worldwide

Good luck and I hope your job hunting is a success!