[aageneral] The Benefits of Customized Cover Letters

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Article Description: This article details the role of the
cover letter for the serious candidate. It emphasizes the
importance of creating a strong cover letter that ensures
your resume gets to the hiring manager and enhances a
candidates chances of securing an interview.

Word Count: 580

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The Benefits of Customized Cover Letters

While we haven't done an official survey, We'd have to
estimate that between fifty and sixty percent of our clients
ask us if they need a cover letter, or tell us that they
don't want to purchase one because they can write a short
note themselves.

For these clients we always have an analogy prepared, where
we tell them that they should think of their resume and
cover letter as two parts of a whole, and that whole is
their marketing pamphlet or business card. Would they give
someone a business card with no contact information? Would
they send out a marketing brochure with no information
describing what the purpose is? Of course not!

Then we explain that sending out a professional resume
without a matching cover letter is like sending out only
half a business card. The complete package is much more
effective in producing resumes.

Studies have shown that well over 50% of hiring managers say
that they consider the cover letter a vital piece of
information, and tend to be wary of applicants who don't
send one, or who send a poorly-written one.

The cover letter is frequently the first piece of
communication a hiring manager has with an applicant. Poor
grammar, typos, lack of understanding of the business letter
format, and confusing or vague information can influence how
a hiring manager feels about an applicant before the resume
is even read. A professionally written letter demonstrates
that the candidate has taken the time to do the best job
possible in obtaining an interview, a trait that indicates
that person will do a good job if hired.

As important as these reasons are for using a professional
cover letter, there is still one more reason: matching the
client's skill sets to the particular job. No two positions
are the same, even in the same field or with the same job
title. Clients need to be prepared to customize their job
application package to their desired position. The resume
cannot (and should not) be easily changed for different
jobs; but the cover letter is made to do just that.

A writer, or a client, can add or subtract information,
emphasize key points, and even include additional
information that didn't fit on the resume. We always tell
our clients, the resume is the outline of your background,
and the cover letter is the document that you use to
emphasize what's important in that background to a
prospective employer particularly at mid management to
senior management level.

In particular the cover letter allows quantifiable results
and successes to be highlighted to the hiring manager,
greatly increasing the candidate's chances of securing an
interview.

To summarize:

1. A professional cover letter increases the number of
interviews received.

2. Well-written cover letters make the applicant stand out
by showcasing particular strengths, and can be customized to
match individual job descriptions.

3. Professional cover letters match the tone and style of
the resume; indicate that the applicant has vast experience
of professional business practices, and a proven track
record of success.

C2005 Ronan Kennedy, President of Professional-Resumes.com
Our resumes and cover letters are flawless and guaranteed to win
interviews. Learn more and read our salary articles, career
tips and career resources at www.Professional-Resumes.com

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