Your cover letter isn’t merely a piece of paper you include with your resume. In fact, often a cover letter is even more important than the resume because it can determine whether or not your prospective employer continues on to read your resume!

When writing your cover letter, keep the old but true saying that “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” firmly in mind. Use the correct business format: title, name of the person to whose attention you are sending your resume, company name and address at top left, skip a couple of spaces and then insert the date.

Always begin your letter using the name of the person to whom it is addressed: “Dear Mr. Jones” instead of “Dear Employer.” Double space between paragraphs to make reading easier. And above all, be concise in stating why you are writing and what you want, such as, “I am applying for the position you recently advertised of acting comptroller for XYZ Widgets.”

Rather than just let your letter dwindle to an end, include a specific time and method you will use for following up on the position, for example, “I will call your office next Monday to see if we can schedule an interview.”

Keep it short, make it clear and always err on the side of more formality than less to ensure that your cover letter will get your resume read!

Here is a good example:

JANE FANE
555 Street Name ▪ City Name, STATE 90210 ▪ 555-555-5555 ▪ email@email.com

Date

Attention Line
Company’s Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2

Dear Mr. Manager:

This letter and the enclosed resume are an expression of my interest in seeking an entry level Merchandising and Display Management position with your company. I recently graduated from ABC University with a Masters Degree in Retail Management.

Relevant Experience: You will gain a results-driven professional with strong organization and multi-tasking abilities, complemented by key success developing and supervising a 10-person team. As a proactive communicator, I am able to quickly establish a rapport that motivates individuals to strive for their peak potential, and have established great success working with regional merchandise teams promoting leading shoe brands including Nike, Saucony, Adidas and Reebok.

Industry Achievement: As a Junior Manager at Macy’s, I have gained vast success completing special projects on time and within budget. I bring over 5 years of merchandise management experience, and was recently awarded for “Outstanding Work Achievement” by Macy’s Stores.

I believe strongly that my education and experience would be an invaluable asset to [Company’s Name]. I would deeply appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my background might fit in with your current and future needs.

Sincerely,

Jane Fane

Enclosure: Resume

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