Written by Teena Rose, CoverLetterCentral.com
Purpose of a Cover Letter
A cover letter serves as a “middleman” or connector between your resume and a the job opening … specifically it can be an introducer, an answerer of questions, and a speaker for your candidacy.
Over the years, cover letters have taken on many different names, or what some classify as types of cover letters, including:
- Introduction letter
- Sales pitch letter
- Resume cover letter
- Cold contact letter
- Follow-up letter
- Referral letter
- Job-specific letter
Crazy, right?
Although the name changes, each type of cover letter is primarily designed to do one thing; pitch you to potential hiring companies.
Help Writing Your Cover Letter
Although tempting, try to write unique cover letter content, while avoiding reusing or regurgitating the exact same wordage included in your resume. The best way to approach writing a cover letter is simply to use the resume content content as inspiration, while reworking and re-scrambling the content so it’s not a carbon copy from one job-search document to the next.
Let’s say, you’re applying for a sales position. You possess the necessary sales experience for the position, and your resume goes into great detail reflecting your sales accomplishments over the years. The resume is designed to go into detail, so an approach to take with the cover letter might mean to write broader statements that “brush” your collection of sales achievements from a broader perspective. For example, the following:
I’m a top sales performer — perfectly comfortable slipping into all sales responsibilities [note my first role in sales was focused on new sales, while my current role is heavily involved in account management]. Over the years, my sales roles have collectively involved me in lead development, closing of sales, customer relationship management, customer service, relationship building, cross-selling/up-selling, and project management. In fact, my sales volumes generated from both new client relations and existing accounts routinely put me in the top 2% for my territories.
Other Mentionables to Consider Including in a Cover Letter
- Relocation choice or willingness to travel
- Salary requirement, if requested by company
- Schedule requirement: part time, full time, telecommute, contract
- Alternate form of contact or availability for interview
- Answers to questions posed by the company
- Reflect work experience in replacement of education requirement
- Explain employment gaps or other career blemishes
- Highlight key points that match the hiring company’s requirements
Originally wrote in 2005; Revised and republished in February 2010
Related posts:
