The first and most common is the cover letter. This is the letter you send when you know a job is available. It is the letter that introduces and accompanies your resume. The second type of letter is the direct contact sales letter. This is the letter you send when you don’t know whether a job is available. It may or may not accompany your resume. It will be discussed in the chapter dealing with direct contact campaigns
The purpose
The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce your resume to an employer when you are applying for a job that you know is available. While the typical job-seeker can conduct his or her job search with one version of the resume, the cover letter provides you an opportunity to tailor your background to fit the job you're applying for. You can amplify the pertinent information from your resume, directly address the needs and interests of the employer, and suggest the areas in which your skills match the organization's needs.
The format and content
The standard format for a cover letter consists of three sections. The opening paragraph is where you state the purpose of the letter. Generally, mention the job you're seeking, who referred you, and how you became aware of the organization.
The middle paragraphs (or paragraph) are where you expand upon the purpose of the letter. Often it's where you relate your skills and back ground - which are detailed in the resume you've enclosed - to those skills that are requisite to the job you're seeking.
The closing paragraph is where you request an interview appointment. The most common way of doing this is to say, "I look forward to hearing from you to see if a meeting can be arranged." Although this seems like a passive approach (and it is), some employers will get annoyed if you pursue them. It is as if they feel that, once they have the paperwork on you, the game is all over. It's up to them to let you know if they are interested or if they are not. That's a depressing reality, but that is the way the game is usually played.
Again, there are exceptions to every generalization, and sometimes a more active approach can work for you. If you do want to take a more aggressive approach, and if it's a local &m, you might want to say you'll call them in a specified period of time (Thursday the 2nd; next week; tomorrow afternoon; and so on). If the company is out of state, you might suggest a time you will be in their area for an interview, and call them before you leave to confirm the appointment.
The following letters are sample cover letters. They are effective cover letters because, in each case, the graduate has accomplished the two objectives for writing a cover letter. They have directly addressed the needs of the employer. And they have suggested the areas m which As you can see, although the content and tone of the cover letters vary according to the job, the purpose is the same: to generate inter views. There are some other similarities as well. All of these letters are addressed to a carefully designated individual - preferably the one who is likely to make an employment decision - and not just a title such as Director of Personnel. Each letter is original. It is better to write ten well-composed letters than to write 100 standard ones. Although the task may seem overwhelming at first, or perhaps just a great deal of work, it gets easier with practice. What you find is that the same letter can be adapted to the needs and interests of different organizations you are contacting. Once you get into the swing of writing these types of letters, certain phrases and ways of stating information will become second nature to you.
Each letter is businesslike in appearance. It should be typed on a nice, heavy paper stock, preferably the same stock that you're using for your resume. When you have your resume reproduced, you can buy extra paper and envelopes of the same type of paper. It's a nice touch. The typewriter ribbon should be in good condition. The typeface should be conventional; don't use a script typeface because it looks amateurish. The copy should be good clean copy; there is nothing less professional than receiving a cover letter with typographical errors and erasures. It looks bad, and even if you have to retype your letter a dozen times to make sure it's correct, it's worth the effort. If you're a hopeless typist, hire someone to type your letters.
One last word of advice: be sure to keep photocopies of all correspondence. These copies can serve two functions. First, you can refer to them when you call up a prospective employer to arrange for an appointment. They will help you briefly and succinctly restate the purpose of the call. Secondly, use them as a diary. Keep track of the date and time of your follow-up calls, the name of the person's secretary, and any other pertinent information. And now that you're aware of all this, it is time to move on.
