Resume Cover Letters – 9 Essential Writing Tips

May 27, 2009 – 1:42 pm

Resume cover letters are used for one purpose only — to convey a resume or curriculum vitae to a prospective employer. The most common mistake I see in cover letters that are sent to me for editing is that many tend to repeat verbatim almost exactly what the attached resume or c.v. already contains.

A resume cover letter should be a concise one-page summary that introduces you, explains why you are writing, summarizes your key skills, abilities and experience, and asks the recipient to get back to you. Its main purpose is to capture the attention of the recipient enough to get that person to look at the attached resume with interest. 

 

When drafting a cover letter for a resume or c.v., there are a number of important rules of thumb to adhere to, as follow.

1. Address It To A Specific Person
Even when sending an unsolicited resume to a company you should take the time to find out the name of the appropriate person and write the letter to that person. At least it will reach their office. Resumes sent to “Dear Human Resources Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern” are almost always a waste of time. Name someone specifically and it will at least make it into an in-basket.

2. Keep It Short and Focused
Remember, your resume already says it all. Keep the letter short and focused and don’t repeat verbatim what is already in the attached resume or c.v. Never exceed one page in a cover letter.

3. Be Enthusiastic
Express your interest in the job and the new company with enthusiasm. Show that you really want the job, and that you would really like to work for that particular company.

4. Focus On Needs Of the Employer
Throughout your cover letter make it clear that you are interested in the needs of the employer. You are there to help them. You are part of the solution. Try to make this the subliminal message of your entire letter.

5. Show That You’ve Done Your Homework
Demonstrate a good knowledge of the company and industry for which you are applying. A one-liner, or a phrase or two in the appropriate place in your letter that shows you are interested, and understand the company’s problems, will give you instant credibility (i.e. do some simple Internet research).

6. Use the Appropriate “Buzzwords”
Every organization has its own ways of doing things and its own lingo. Look through key documents such as annual reports, corporate websites, etc. Try to spot key words, terms, and phrases that are often repeated. Every company has them. Use as many of these “hot buttons” as you can in your cover letter - where appropriate, of course. For example, if the “Message From the CEO” in the annual report mentions the phrase “action plan for the future” three times, make sure you work that term into your cover letter. Don’t overdo it, of course.

7. Summarize Your Skills and Abilities
If possible, without making the letter too long, summarize your overall skills and abilities as strengths; listed in bullet-point form. This can make them stand out in a way that they wouldn’t, if they were buried in the resume or c.v.

8. Promise To Follow Up
In the final paragraph, clearly state that you will be following up by telephone in a few days to see if you can answer any questions. Make sure you do this. Industry experts say that over 80% of people never do this crucial follow-up and just wait for the phone to ring.

 

9. Get It Right
Make sure that your cover letter is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Allowing those types of mistakes to creep into your one page cover letter is a major credibility destroyer. Sloppy and unprofessional are NOT the first impressions you want to give to the reader before they even look at your resume.

 

The challenge of course, is to try to address all of these points in a four or five paragraph letter. It can be done!

To see a fully-formatted “real-life template” of a resume cover letter, click on the following link:

http://www.writinghelp-central.com/cover-letter.html

 

  1. 37 Responses to “Resume Cover Letters – 9 Essential Writing Tips”

  2. Thank you for these new ideas. Much appreciated.

    Ledua

    By Ledua on May 27, 2009

  3. Thank you Mr. Shaun,

    All your messages are really very useful.

    Youssef

    By youssef on May 27, 2009

  4. Thanks Shaun; it’s really good information.

    By Fazilah on May 27, 2009

  5. Thank you for this new info that you share with us.
    This is very useful for applying for a job.

    By landzky on May 27, 2009

  6. Dear Shaun,

    I am really thankful to have mails from your side. Your earlier mails helped me a lot to improve. I want you to help me writing good cover letters also.

    Regards,
    Nivedia

    By Nivedita on May 27, 2009

  7. Thanks Shaun. That was informative.

    By Shaju on May 27, 2009

  8. You rescue many in troubles of English writing, keep it up, some rewards does not necessarily need to come from the earth, but heaven

    By vincent Ombogo on May 28, 2009

  9. Thanks very much for this important information that you share with us especially at this period of economic recession.

    By Kabelo Kelepile on May 28, 2009

  10. Thanks for the write up. For over 12 years of my working experience I never thought of a cover note for my cv.
    Although now that I am searching for a job with a cover note to my cv I have a lot of hope of getting a new job very soon.

    By dada babajide razak on May 28, 2009

  11. Sir you really helped me,Thanks a million

    By Elnathan on May 28, 2009

  12. Thanks everyone for the comments.

    This is just to remind you that my main writing help website contains almost 300 pages of free content including many sample templates for the various documents covered.
    http://www.writinghelp-central.com

    Best… Shaun

    By admin on May 28, 2009

  13. Thank you for these updates. I find this particular one very interesting, but don’t you think some of your suggestions may differ according the country you are from. Take for instance the US and Europe this may appeal to them, but in Africa will it work? All they are interested in is your cetificates and what your qualifications are! So think about culture sometimes and make adequate suggestions for those in such divides.

    By Linda Adejobi on May 28, 2009

  14. Shaun,
    You deserve to be credited. True, a resume cover letter displays all about the applicant. I am sure many have and will benefit from your 9 Essential writting Tips.

    Thanks alot.
    Regards, Asher.

    By Asher on May 28, 2009

  15. Thanks Linda, for your comment about possible cultural differences in resume cover letters.

    The writing advice I give is as generic as possible and applies to English language writing in most developed countries. If you find that your country has different standards for some things, by all means apply them.

    However, if it is not the usual practice to submit resume cover letters in whichever country one lives, I suggest you consider doing one for your resume in any case. It serves a useful purpose and (in my opinion) is better than just handing/sending a resume or cv to someone with no covering explanation.
    You might end up setting a new standard in your country!

    By admin on May 28, 2009

  16. Thanks a million Mr. Shaun!
    All your messages help me to improve a lot.

    By dailoelena on May 28, 2009

  17. Thanks a million, its been amazing to get tips from you Shaun. I’m so grateful to you, for your tips are perfect.

    Regards,

    By BETTY A on May 29, 2009

  18. Thanks! It is very useful for me.

    By Fion W on May 30, 2009

  19. Thanks Shaun,
    It’s very useful information.
    Regards,

    By Farhad on May 30, 2009

  20. These tips have been very helpful.
    Thanks.

    By Zovoe Jonathan on May 31, 2009

  21. Thanks for the informative information. With it I feel well equipped.

    By prisca on Jun 5, 2009

  22. Dear Shaun,

    Thanks for the great information.

    By Shivajee on Jun 6, 2009

  23. Dear Shaun,
    Thank you very much. You are a great writer who does not keep your talents and skills only for yourself. You help in any possible way you can. Your tips will surely improve my cover letter. God bless!

    By lena on Jun 7, 2009

  24. Thank you very much Mr. Shaun.

    These are helpfull tips to improve our skills in writing.

    Thanks once again; am looking forward to receive more of your messages.

    Best regards,
    Waleed
    Yemen

    By Waleed Sawal on Jun 9, 2009

  25. Thank you very much Mr. Shaun.

    By subinna2003 on Jun 10, 2009

  26. Hi Shaun!
    Many thanks for your many suggestions. I have been able to identify my shortcomings in letter writing, be it business or otherwise. In fact today itself I am going to redo a job application cover letter.
    Thanks once again.
    Regards,
    Shaki

    By Shaki on Jun 25, 2009

  27. Dear Shaun,
    I really liked these fresh ideas.
    Thank you

    By Najam M on Jun 26, 2009

  28. Hi Shaun,
    I’m also doing well here in south africa,though the weather is a bit chilly but during the day it is hot. Yesteday I slept late watching soccer. Our squad Bafana-Bafana(SA) vs The Samba-Boys(Brazil)
    Thanks for the insight Shaun I will use it for future career endevours.
    Hope you have a magnificent day.

    By Elnathan on Jun 26, 2009

  29. I forgot to tell you ,I am invited for an interview on the 02 of July 2009,please pray for me there in Montreal.

    By Elnathan on Jun 26, 2009

  30. Thanks for the useful information on cover letter writing.

    Regards
    MKD

    By M. K. Deep on Jun 26, 2009

  31. Dear Shaun,
    I found your information most helpful, and
    I’m very glad to be part of this, in fact I have to re prepare my cover letter next week, as I’m planning to apply for another position within my company in different department, same grade but a challenging job. Thanks for all the hints and guidance.
    Thanks again, Mariam

    By Mariam Hussain on Jun 27, 2009

  32. Thank you for this very helpful information. I rarely do follow up on my applications. I promise to adopt this great idea

    By Sarah Mitambo on Jun 29, 2009

  33. This is a great ideas. Can you send me a sample of cover letters?
    God bless you.

    Hezekiah Olujobi

    By Hezekiah Olujobi on Jun 29, 2009

  34. Hi Shaun,

    Thanks for the info and tips. Itś exactly what I need, because I am looking for a new job these days:D
    Kindly appreciate if you could give us a sample.
    Have a great day

    Debbie

    By debbie on Jul 1, 2009

  35. Thanks Debbie,

    FYI there is a link to a sample cover letter at the bottom of the article.
    Good luck with it.

    Shaun

    By admin on Jul 1, 2009

  36. Thanks for your suggestions. Am looking forward to your future writings.

    By Livkill on Jul 9, 2009

  37. Dear Mr. Shaun.
    Thank you for sending me your writing help e-mails. They are very useful to me, and I would be glad to receive more e-mails from you in the future.

    By Zafar on Jul 26, 2009

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