Covering Letter

[Dayvo]

After Christmas the company i work for is closing down and i will be looking for another job.The last couple of job i have had , i have been recomended for and not had to do a resume or covering letter.I have found 4 or 5 jobs i would like to apply for and they want me to sent them a a covering letter and a resume .I have finished my resume ,but what is a covering letter ?
Thanks in advance ,

[hsvpunk]

When applying for a job a cover letter should be sent or posted with your resume. Your cover letter should be specific to the position you are applying for, relating your skills and experience to those noted in the job posting. Your cover letter is your first (and best) chance to make a good impression!
An effective cover letter should explain the reasons for your interest in the organization and in the job you are applying for. Take the time to review cover letter examples, then make sure that your letter explains how your skills relate to the criteria listed in the job posting.

[minux]

Pm me your email address and I will send you an example.

[88GreenVN]

It is a 1 page letter about yourself and how your skills fit the job and to make the person reading it put you in the pile of "Read the resume" and not go in the bin.

[Jesterarts]

^^^ yeah... a cover letter is basically you telling the company why your going to be the best for the job. So you should do a different cover letter for each comapny so it doesn't sound generic..

I know in our company if the cover letter is no good the resume doesn't get looked at.

Good lcuk

[minux]

^^^ yeah... a cover letter is basically you telling the company why your going to be the best for the job. So you should do a different cover letter for each comapny so it doesn't sound generic..

I know in our company if the cover letter is no good the resume doesn't get looked at.

Good lcuk

Exactly, however, don't write a massive essay. If it takes me longer than 15 seconds to read a cover letter, I usually push it aside.

[danja]

Sad but true, good candidates with poor cover letters often get missed completely. For the same reason, don't over-do your resume. Make sure you only list relevant experience, make the resume scannable (prominent and meaningful headings, logical structure) and ideally only 2-3 pages.

Employers will have a stack of these to go through, out of 30 applications they'll probably choose the top 5 for a in interview. They don't have all day to go through each application in detail, thus having a punchy cover letter gets you in that top 5.

[minux]

Dave, Sent you an email, the letter sent was by an applicant(all details removed) for a position with a rather large company. The applicant got the job.

Hope it helps somewhat, just modify what you need to suit your needs.

[Shounak]

Cover letter should briefly mention experience, it's more about ripping the competencies/qualities/values they're looking for in the employee in the ad and listing those.

However, it's not enough to list them, you must give real examples of each. Usually you should only tackle about 3, that's what makes a good cover letter great.

Ie. If they want a team player. You will mention that you are a team player and give a relevant example of where you worked in a team. Anyone can say that meet the dot points, only the best can succintly demonstrate it.

Also, any more than a page will see it recycled.

[Pete_perth]

Hey Dayvo,

Check out this link, it may help you I wrote this a few years ago when I was working for a TAFE College as their Careers Advisor. Hope it helps, good luck with the job hunting.

Pete

http://www.westcoasttafe.wa.edu.au/S...er_Handout.pdf

[Pete_perth]

If you need a hand with your resume, this link can also help you.

http://www.westcoasttafe.wa.edu.au/S...e_Workshop.pdf

[Doubleshadow]

A resume is usually a detailed listing of your professional qualifications and work activity. Recruiters are so busy, they have no time to go through the details, so you should have a summary at the top of your resume, that highlights the skills relevant to the position you are applying for.

A cover letter digs more deeply into this, but the key is to keep it short and sweet. No one is interested to the periphery crap and for heaven's sake, don't put the political drama in it. Keep sentences succinct and relevant. You cover letter is the herald to your resume. Recruiters should first read your cover letter, then your resume. Because the resume is linear and clogged with details, your cover letter should emphasize certain skills, and direct the recruiter where to look for more details in your resume.

...and remember, no one gives a **** if you were the softball junior-league champion.