Why Should I Hire You?

Applying for a job can be a stressful task, but what's even more stressful is drafting a perfect Cover Letter. A Cover Letter is one of the most important pieces of correspondence you may ever write. Its goal is to get you an interview and the job you have always been waiting for. If a Cover Letter is done properly, it can greatly improve your ability to compete for jobs and higher career positions. It adds a personal touch to your resume and shows employers that you are a professional candidate. Since the job market has been struggling, a Cover Letter is an ultimate must to push you that extra mile to stand out from other job seekers.

I searched several different websites and came across a few great ones. The first website is Advanced Resume Concepts by Pat Kendall. Pat shares 4 cover letter rules to always abide by:

1. Customize to Fit: Take the time to customize your Cover Letter to fit the employer's requirements.
2. Meet the Employer's Needs: Write the Cover Letter with the employer's needs in mind - not your own.
3. Actively Sell Yourself: Tell the employer WHY they should hire you.
4. Keep it Simple: Use a simple block format with left flush margins and ragged right margins.

Pat Kendall says a great quote to always remember when writing a Cover Letter, "Impress employers with your qualifications and relevant experience, not with your fancy language."

My second website is Cover Letters Do's and Don'ts by Randall and Katharine Hansen. They list a variety of great do's and don'ts that everyone should read before starting their Cover Letter. The very first Cover Letter DO is to always send out a Cover Letter with your resume. It is the most important part of your application. My favorite advice was to avoid the three most common Cover Letter mistakes:

1. Not addressing your Cover Letter to a named individual.
2. Failing to be proactive by requesting an interview.
3. Telling what the company can do for you rather than what you can do for the company.

My final website is Cover Letters: Types and Samples by the Virgina Tech University. This website answers almost every question about how to write a Cover Letter. It lists the differences between email and hard copy Cover Letter versions. This was the only site I came across that was specific about what font size and style to use. Appearance is just as important as the information in the Cover Letter. VTU also includes sample Cover Letter format guidelines. It visually shows the reader what information goes where. In addition, they include a few other sample Cover Letters addressed to actual employers which are great tools to look at when writing your own Cover Letter.

If you all ready sent out a Cover Letter and broke a couple of these rules don't worry about it. Brush that one off and get a fresh start on a new one. If you follow all of these Cover Letter guidelines, I am sure you will impress the employer and earn that interview and hopefully the job!