Attracting Positive Attention to Your Cover Letter

The cover letter has one significant purpose: to generate interest from employers in order to land an interview. Writing a cover letter is the crucial first step to a job seeker's hunt in landing the perfect job. Understanding how to attract positive attention to your cover letter and ultimately yourself is one of the most important lessons that you can learn as a job seeker.

Although the following tips may appear trivial, they are cover letter basics that you need to know in order to secure the position you are after.

1. Understand that a cover letter is expected. Unless otherwise stated, you should ALWAYS attach a cover letter to your resume. It is a part of business etiquette and gives a good first impression.

2. Tailor your cover letter to the specific company you are applying to. Do NOT be lazy and send out a generic cover letter to every company you are interested in. Be unique and describe what drew you to the company and why you want to work there.

3. Take the time to avoid careless errors. Misspelled words can end your chances of landing an interview. Go over your cover letter carefully for grammatical errors and have a few people read over it and give their feedback. Another pair of eyes can never hurt.

4. Keep it short! NEVER go over a page long when writing a cover letter. Try and keep it to two-thirds of a page long and comprised of two or three paragraphs. Brevity is key.

5. When possible, address your cover letter to a specific person. Not all companies will list a specific contact, but if you can obtain a name then it is best to address it to that person. Just think of all the letters that get lost in a pile that is addressed to the HR department!

6. Don't re-write your resume. Your cover letter is a chance for you to address the elements that are absent from your resume. You don't have to list all your positions and jobs you have worked at, but rather tell the employer why you are qualified and why you would be best for the position.

Just remember that a well written cover letter can help you stand out against your competition and land you the interview that you've been waiting for.