A cover letter should be written to introduce your self to a potential employer, the contents of the letter should emphasise your best qualities, any special skills you may have and any accomplishments that you have gained in the past. The cover letter should be used in conjunction with your resume to outline or add to the skills and accomplishments that you have put in your resume.

The whole point of a cover letter is to reach out to your potential employer by providing them with a more personal account of your skills and accomplishments and also to state why you think you are the best person for the job and to state what you can offer them should they employ you.

The letter should be no more than a page long and be well written and laid out and convincing, it is all about selling yourself and you should sound confident and should convince the potential employer that they should pick you. Writing an excellent cover letter could mean the difference between your resume being in the “consider tray” and not the “reject tray”.

How to write a successful cover letter

Everyone who sends out a resume should include a cover letter with it; recruiters will very often look for a cover letter first before even looking at the actual resume, by writing a cover letter it shows that you have made an effort at least.

The cover letter will also help the employer to quickly determine if you have what they need; you should always write a cover letter that is tailored for the specific company that you are applying to for a job and not just write a cover letter and keep photo copying or re printing. Some important points to note when writing the letter are:

• Showing interest in a particular position within the company.
• Summarizing the most important aspects of any experience, qualifications or education that you have.
• Leaving clear contact information for any interview they might offer.
• Always check your letter for any typing or spelling mistakes.
• Address the letter clearly to the person who is hiring making sure the name is spelled correctly and that their title is correct.
• Be professional and use titles, for example Mr, Ms, Dr or Professor.
• Do not copy cover letters from others or websites, use your own style in your own words, this shows enthusiasm.
• Do some research on the company or industry and let them know you know who they are and what they do and their goals for the future.
• Use terms and phrases that are meaningful to the employer.