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	The Best Ways to Improve Your Cover Letter June 28th, 2010 by Robert Moskowitz  Posted in Most Popular, Resume Writing	6

There is currently a big controversy raging about whether or not to include a cover letter when you send in your application for a job. Some recruiters and HR people claim they never look at cover letters. Others say they use a cover letter’s content and overall professionalism to decide which resumes will rise toward the top of the pile.

Since there is no hard and fast rule, it’s up to you to decide how best to stay in the running for a job: with a cover letter that may not be wanted, or without a cover letter that may be what the recruiter or HR person is looking for. Of course, when a cover letter is requested, you have no choice.

When you choose to send a cover letter, you should include it in the body of your email message. You could theoretically attach it to your email as a separate file, or integrate your cover letter material into the first part of your resume. However, most recruiters and HR people say it’s confusing to add a cover letter to your resume and it’s likely to be ignored if a cover letter arrives in a separate file by itself.

However you send it, there are several ways to craft an effective cover letter.

First, start with just a brief statement that you’re fully qualified for the job. Close the letter by expressing your interest in pursuing this job opportunity. As a final step, be sure to polish the cover letter until it’s short, sweet, and direct. In between, you can put three types of cover letter “meat”:

The Narrative: A narrative cover letter explains and describes the few parts of your work history, skills, and talents that are most relevant to the job for which you are applying. To find them, first identify the specific requirements and preferences on the basis of the job description. Then for each one (as best you can) write something positive about you.

The List: Another approach to writing the “meat” of an improved cover letter is to build a bulleted list describing the highlights of your work history, skills, and talents that best match what the employer says he or she is looking for. Bullets don’t have to be complete sentences, and don’t need punctuation at the end of each one. Include at least three or four bullet items, but no more than a dozen. If you have additional qualifications that seem relevant but don’t make the top dozen, say so by including a sentence along the lines of: “There’s a lot more I can tell you about my relevant qualifications when we talk in person or by telephone.”

The “T” Letter: This format is a little more graphic than either of the others, and wastes space not only with “white space” but by repeating the job requirements that the employer presumably already knows. But it can be very effective. For the “meat” of your “T” formatted cover letter, create two lists in two columns. In the left-hand column, list the job’s requirements. In the right-hand column, list whatever item from your work history, skills, and talents best shows how well you meet that criterion. If the list gets a little confusing, you can number the items in the left and right columns so it’s obvious which ones are intended to match up. If you’re typing or pasting this information directly into an email, where formatting is more of a problem, you can forget the two columns and simply list each job requirement followed by your qualifications.

However you design and build your cover letter, remember that most recruiters and HR people are flooded with applications and don’t want to waste their own or their hiring managers’ time with applicants who won’t make the grade. The faster and simpler you make it for them to recognize that you’re fully qualified, the more likely your application will be passed along for more detailed and thorough evaluation.