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Introducing Yourself To An Employer
The cover letter is an introduction to your resume. It provides the employer with an explanation for your interest in a particular position or in the company itself.
Format:
The cover letter should be no longer than three to four paragraphs. It should follow a standard professional business letter format.
Sections:
The cover letter consists of your heading, the employer's address information, introduction paragraph, body, closing, and signature block.
Headings:
Your heading includes your name and complete address. Skip 2 lines and then put the employers information. This includes their name. You may need to do extra work to get this information, such as networking with someone you know that works at the company, checking the company website for contact names, or calling and asking. Next put their title, company name, and company address. Skip one line and put the date. Address that person with the appropriate title: Mr. or Ms.
Introduction:
In this section, you are just stating your interest and purpose for sending your resume. If you are applying for a specific position, you should state its title and how you found out about the position. If you are just applying to a company without any details of an opening, specify which department or type of position you are seeking.
Body:
The body of your letter should be either one or two paragraphs long, depending on length. It should give more detail about your personality traits than what can be seen in your resume. For example, you might want to illustrate that you are very personable and great at dealing with customers. Always back up these points with examples or how you got those skills. You also might want to emphasize some major points from your resume that set you apart from other candidates.
Closing:
The closing should be just a few lines long explaining that you will contact them by a specific date and will be looking forward to hearing from them. This puts the ball in your court and gives you the opportunity to show your interest and follow through. If you do give them a date, make sure you give them enough time to look through the resumes -- about a week or so. And, most important of all...if you say you are going to call -- CALL!
Signature Block:
The signature block is just your typical letter blocking with the word "Sincerely," and a couple of spaces and your name. The tip here is to actually sign in the space provided for a signature.
Tip:
This cover letter goes on top of your resume. But, do not staple or paperclip them together.
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