First Impressions
The Cover
Letter
Think of the cover letter as the
photo on the front of a travel brochure. If it's a gorgeous, colorful,
sunny beach or mountain scene, the reader will surely want to know more about
such a beautiful place. Use the cover letter to make employers curious to
know more about you. Draw them right into your resume by highlighting your
strengths and explaining why you are perfect for the position.
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these guideposts to a successful cover letter: |
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Know
whom you are dealing with: Before
composing a cover letter, always research the company and position. |
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Short
& sweet: The cover letter
should not be longer than three or four paragraphs and never exceed
one page. |
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Quality quest:
If you are mailing or personally delivering your resume and cover
letter, use a high-quality printer and paper. The resume and cover
letter should be on coordinating stationery. If you are faxing,
use clean, white, unwrinkled paper without texture or patterns. |
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Proofread 3X3:
Be absolutely certain that the final letter is free of any typographical,
grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors! Have at least three
different people (not including yourself!) proofread the letter,
three different times. |
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Do personalize:
Whenever possible, address your letter to a specific person rather
than "To Whom It May Concern." This may require you to call the
company and speak to the personnel department to find out the
name of who will be hiring for the position. |
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