Do You Need a Cover Letter?

Posted on December 24, 2009
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What’s the value of writing a cover letter? Why do you need that if you are going to submit your resume? Does that not tell the entire story? A resume only tells part of the story, especially if you have something unique to share. Simply sending a resume is not enough. Submitting a resume without cover letter is like leaving your house with a shirt and no pants. You wouldn’t do that, would you?

Here are some valid reasons why the cover is a very important complement to your resume:

Demonstrates your ability to put together a cogent sentence, or in this case many sentences about what you offer in a new position and how you can add value for a potential employer.
Serves as your introduction. You don’t expect to walk into someone’s house through his or her kitchen, right? The cover is your entranceway. Here, you can enter with grace; set the tone of what the reader should expect to see on the resume.
Provides an opportunity for you to highlight certain things that you might not have been able to include in the resume. For example, perhaps you have been designing model houses since childhood, but have worked in another industry and now want to enter architecture. A cover letter would be the optimal place to discuss such information and provide specific examples of what you have designed. Or, maybe you have been cooking gourmet meals and regularly have dinner parties at your house and your friends’ houses. If you were applying for a position in a test kitchen, this is the appropriate place to reveal this information – especially if you currently work in a more traditional business role.
Is part of the resume package. The package is not complete without the cover. Will everyone read it? Probably not. While I haven’t done a full study of how many hiring managers read them vs. those that don’t, I can tell you this: when I worked in human resources I ALWAYS read them. I gained a better understanding of the candidate, what underlying skills he possessed and how he might contribute in the organization I represented.

Here’s a good tip: If you want to increase the chances that your cover will be read by a potential hiring manager, include it in the body of your email and attach the resume. By doing this, the hiring manager will only have to open one attachment and can quickly read the letter when opening your email.

Here’s to your career success!

Author: Debra Wheatman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Benefits of electric pressure cooker