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How much effort did you put into writing your last cover letter? Many job seekers just throw together a quick, generic and badly worded cover letter, and thus lose a big advantage in the selection process. Custom writing a well thought out letter for every job will put you a big step ahead of a large part of the selection group. When you combine a well written cover letter with a detailed but clear resume, you will get much, much more interviews and offers than if you just had sent in the resume alone. Here are some things to avoid in your cover letter:
1. Sending in the application without a cover letter. It doesn't matter what reason you think you have, that your resume is super strong on its own, that you don't have time to write one for every position you apply for or that you simply cant be bothered, always take the time to write a cover letter. If you really don't have time you can always use a template and then change the essentials or get some kind of cover letter writing software, or even hire a writer if you can spare the money.
2. Sending the letter to a general address. Do not send the letter to the company's general address, as it will very likely be lost or get into the right hands way too late to matter. Instead find out who is responsible for hiring in the company and address the letter directly to him or her. This will usually be written in the job ad, and if not, you can always find out by giving the company a quick call or by checking their website. If you don't know the gender of the recipient, make sure to use a gender neutral salutation.
3. Do not attach a photo to the application. A couple of years ago there was a trend to include a picture of yourself in your cover letter and resume. Now it is considered bad form. Note that this do not apply to actors, models, television hosts and other professions where the employers need to know how you look. If you are not sure if you should include a picture you can always call and ask.
Keep this information in the back on your head when working on your cover letter. Good luck!
1. Sending in the application without a cover letter. It doesn't matter what reason you think you have, that your resume is super strong on its own, that you don't have time to write one for every position you apply for or that you simply cant be bothered, always take the time to write a cover letter. If you really don't have time you can always use a template and then change the essentials or get some kind of cover letter writing software, or even hire a writer if you can spare the money.
2. Sending the letter to a general address. Do not send the letter to the company's general address, as it will very likely be lost or get into the right hands way too late to matter. Instead find out who is responsible for hiring in the company and address the letter directly to him or her. This will usually be written in the job ad, and if not, you can always find out by giving the company a quick call or by checking their website. If you don't know the gender of the recipient, make sure to use a gender neutral salutation.
3. Do not attach a photo to the application. A couple of years ago there was a trend to include a picture of yourself in your cover letter and resume. Now it is considered bad form. Note that this do not apply to actors, models, television hosts and other professions where the employers need to know how you look. If you are not sure if you should include a picture you can always call and ask.
Keep this information in the back on your head when working on your cover letter. Good luck!
About the Author:
Before you start writing your Cover Letter check out our excellent cover letter site here: Cover Letter Help. If you don't have time to write the entire letter yourself, check out this handy Cover Letter Creator
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