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Home > Services & Assistance > Career Services > eSight Careers Network > Job Search & Retention > Writing an Effective Cover Letter

By: Nan Hawthorne

A cover letter is your tool for gaining an employer's attention when you apply for work. While your resume is a catalog of your education, experience and other qualifications, your cover letter is a customized way to communicate how well you are suited for a particular position. It is written as a personal letter of introduction.

If you produce a standard cover letter and send this identical one to all of your prospective employers, you lose the whole benefit of a cover letter. Your cover letter needs to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are familiar with his company and with the position for which you are applying. The cover letter specifically addresses the position's requirements. In fact, it lists your qualifications as they directly relate to each requirement.

When you write an effective cover letter, you make it easier for the person doing the hiring to filter you into the first tier of candidates. Failing to supply a customized letter, however, can result in your being eliminated immediately. Employers expect a cover letter.

According to Quintessential Careers, "A good cover letter opens a window to your personality (and describes specific strengths and skills you offer the employer)." The website cites these two situations when a cover letter does more than just summarize your resume:

• Gone fishing. A cover letter is your introduction and allows you to gain information about opportunities you may otherwise miss. This cover letter will focus on your interest in the company and outlining your skill sets so the potential employer can see where you might fit in to projects.
• Referred by ... A cover letter is particularly effective when your networking efforts have paid off with a direct referral. It gives you an opportunity to mention your referral so the employer has an immediate connection with you.

When you are submitting a resume online, you may have the opportunity to provide a cover letter by submitting it as the cover e-mail for your resume, attaching it to an e-mail, or submitting it through a section of the online submission form. Be sure to check electronic submission sites to make sure you know where and how to supply a custom cover letter.

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