By: Todd Long
Submitted: 2011-05-23 08:33:39 | Word Count: 586
The first form of written communication with a prospective employer is a cover letter attached to your resume. This article will help you understand the important aspects of cover letter formats.
A cover letter is the window to demonstrate your communication and writing skills. Many candidates seem to overlook this important fact and fail to submit a cover letter along with their resumes. A cover letter is used to highlight and focus on your accomplishments, special skills and talents.
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Cover letters for resumes helps focus on your background, ambitions, educations and issues that cannot be mentioned in a resume. A well written cover letter makes the employer believe that you are genuinely interested in the job opening and have the required knowledge and skills for the post. The cover letter format should be written in a formal letter style. The following tips on writing cover letter formats will be useful for your future reference.
How to Write Cover Letter Formats?
Your resume cover letters create the first impression on the prospective employer. Therefore, use proper punctuation, capitalization and grammar in your cover letter. You can also showcase your professionalism with your cover letter formats. You should first mention your name, address, email and phone number in your letter. Then you should write the date followed by the employer's name and address. You should mention the contact person's name, if you know. Then include the person's title in the address block. You should address the letter as 'Dear Sir or Madam' or 'To Whom it May Concern'.
Paragraph One - Introduction
You need to introduce yourself and explain the reason of your writing. The introduction paragraph should be enough for the prospective employer to know why they should read your letter. You should state how you learned about the position and the title of the position that you have applied for.
Paragraph Two - Education and Qualification
Here you should explain your education and qualification in brief. You should also mention your experience and how will it be useful for their organization. You can write about what group of people you can work with, your expertise in any specific area, personal interests, etc. This is where you should mention why you would like to do this job for this employer. This paragraph should not go beyond two or three paragraphs and should explain why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Paragraph Three - Closing Lines
This is where you say thank you to the prospective employer for considering your job application. You can mention that you are open to meet them for a personal interview on a date suitable to the employer. The paragraph should be 2-3 sentences long. End the letter writing with 'Sincerely' and signing your name. Do not forget to write your full name below your signature. You should mention the title 'Enclosure(s)' after your name and write the names of the enclosed documents.
Your cover letter should be short and sweet with relevant information. Do not use a lot of 'I' and passive voice. Use good quality paper and envelopes for your cover letter and resume. Once you write your cover letter format, make sure to proof read it. You can ask someone else to read it once before mailing it. A cover letter format should be flawless like your resume. Check for punctuation, spellings and any minor mistakes that may look bad. Always remember, a cover letter is written to complement your resume writing and should not be its exact copy.
