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| Article Listing | Search Articles | More Articles in Cover Letter | More Articles by BitmixSoft Support |
Cover Letters Format |
| by BitmixSoft Support - 10/25/2006 |
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| "Anytime a resume is sent by mail it must be accompanied by a cover letter." |
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The resume is an impersonal description of your qualifications, much like a product brochure. The cover letter is your opportunity to personalize your resume and target your skills to that specific employer.
The effective job seeker will not send the same resume for each new job opportunity. Resumes need to be tailored for each position. Likewise, the same cover letter cannot be used in every situation. It also must be customized for each opportunity. There are a variety of cover letter formats, some of which are described below. Whatever format you use, be sure the letter conforms to acceptable standards for business letters.
COVER LETTER FORMATS
Invited
Use the invited format whenever an employer has asked for a resume. This is often in response to a classified ad or publicized job listing. This style focuses on matching your qualifications to the advertised requirements of the position.
Uninvited or Cold-Contact
Use the uninvited format to contact employers who haven't advertised or published job openings. The focus is on matching your qualifications to the perceived needs of the employer based on labor market research. This strategy requires that a phone or personal contact with the employer either precede or follow the sending of the resume and cover letter.
Referral
Use the referral format to contact employers to whom you've been referred. The effective job seeker will receive referrals to many job opportunities through networking and informational interviews. The referral may be to a specific job opening (advertised or unadvertised) or to an employer who may not be hiring. In a referral letter the individual who provided the referral is mentioned in the letter.
Job Match or "T"
It's always important to match your qualifications to the job and/or employer in the cover letter. This is generally done as part of the body of the letter. In the "T" letter format this is done as bullet points targeting the specific requirements and your corresponding qualifications. Some sources for information to help you match your qualifications include: employment advertisements, company websites, position descriptions, phone conversations with the employer and informational interviews.
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