Cover Letter

pnoon · 03-17-2010, 01:14 PM

Think of it as your intro post in a forum.

A cover letter should catch the attention of the reader (person screening the resumes) and give them a reason to review and take a closer look at your resume. It is much like the handshake when introduced to someone.

Redundant? Not at all. It is a critical piece of the application process.

How do you make one? You put your fingers on the keyboard and press the little letters to make words.

03-17-2010, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pnoon

Think of it as your intro post in a forum.

A cover letter should catch the attention of the reader (person screening the resumes) and give them a reason to review and take a closer look at your resume. It is much like the handshake when introduced to someone.

How do you make one? You put your fingers on the keyboard and press the little letters to make words.

Ah, that makes sense. LOL, I guess the "how do I make one" question was pretty self explanatory.

Thanks for your help, Peter.

PeteSB75 · 03-17-2010, 01:22 PM

While the resume is your qualifications, showing that you can do the job, the cover letter is your sales pitch. It's about why you would be a better pick than Joe from down the block who has all the same skills and more experience. It is the single most important part of any job search done directly with hiring managers and HR people. Think of it as a written version of how you will sell yourself in the interview. Use it to tell them why you are the best fit for the job, and everything else becomes a formality.

Ashcan Bill · 03-17-2010, 01:33 PM

Darrell, think about it this way. The average HR Recruiter may get hundreds, even thousands, of resumes for a job.

The cover letter is the first thing they glance over. By the time they get to yours, they may have already looked over countless cover letters/resumes, and are tired.

What will make them wake up and want to look at your resume? What will make them think "Hey, this person may be better qualified and a better fit as compared to all the others?".

03-17-2010, 01:14 PM	#1
pnoon YNWA Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Peter Location: San Diego Posts: 29,919 Trading: (20)	Re: Cover Letter Think of it as your intro post in a forum. A cover letter should catch the attention of the reader (person screening the resumes) and give them a reason to review and take a closer look at your resume. It is much like the handshake when introduced to someone. Redundant? Not at all. It is a critical piece of the application process. How do you make one? You put your fingers on the keyboard and press the little letters to make words. __________________ Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. -John Wooden

03-17-2010, 01:22 PM	#3
PeteSB75 Have My Own Room Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Pete Location: CT Posts: 1,674 Trading: (18)	Re: Cover Letter While the resume is your qualifications, showing that you can do the job, the cover letter is your sales pitch. It's about why you would be a better pick than Joe from down the block who has all the same skills and more experience. It is the single most important part of any job search done directly with hiring managers and HR people. Think of it as a written version of how you will sell yourself in the interview. Use it to tell them why you are the best fit for the job, and everything else becomes a formality. __________________ Formerly Malik23

03-17-2010, 01:33 PM	#4
Ashcan Bill Ol' Dude Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Bill Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 1,902 Trading: (6)	Re: Cover Letter Darrell, think about it this way. The average HR Recruiter may get hundreds, even thousands, of resumes for a job. The cover letter is the first thing they glance over. By the time they get to yours, they may have already looked over countless cover letters/resumes, and are tired. What will make them wake up and want to look at your resume? What will make them think "Hey, this person may be better qualified and a better fit as compared to all the others?".