Sell Yourself with a Cover Letter

We have all seen some great sales tools: brochures, letters or websites. It may come as a surprise that many of the successful ones have a formula that is used over and over again.

A cover letter can be the most important tool that you use to get that job you want. It is in the cover letter that very specific tools have been proven to be successful in converting applications to interviews. Once you have the foot in the door, you have half the battle won.

An employer will read the cover letter before they even look at your resume, so it is your very first chance to impress the reader. Your cover letter should be business like and polite, but at the same time reflect your own personality.

It is a good idea to start your letter with a great headline right below the greeting. This headline should be appropriate to the job, and the type of company you are applying to. An example could be "DEMONSTRATED SKILLS WILL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES".

This is the perfect lead in to outlining (briefly) our qualifications and how they are best suited to the company. Don't hold back on the facts, but don't go into so much detail as to become boring. If the job description mentions something on which you are an expert, you can briefly outline how you have applied that skill in the past. One paragraph should be enough.

Demonstrate that you know something about the company, and how your interests are in tune with specific company policies or initiatives.

So it's clear that the cover letter is an important part of the job application process, but what if you don't know how to pull it all together? A good way is to download a template that gives instructions on how to personalize it to your specific job application.

Jimmy Sweeney in his Amazing Cover Letters has tapped into a real need and provides such expert advice his clients give his product unqualified praise. He shows that writing an impressive and interview-getting cover letter is easier that you might think. Simply adjusting the well-worded and structured template to include your details, will create a great first impression for your potential employer.

Having an expert guide is the best way to ensure your cover letter really hits its mark.