Cover letters?

Question

What's a good cover letter strategy? Does anyone have a good template?

Answer 1

I'm a recruiter and here's what I always say about cover letters. The letter should start off saying that you are applying for that specific job and where you saw the ad. then you want to highlight why you would be a good candidate. Such as "my background and experience in blah blah make me an excellent candidate." You'll need a paragraph on all the qualifications that you bring and your related experience. Then you need to explain why you would want the job. This is what people forget. Tell me why that job would be good for you, not just that you need a job or that you would be good for me. Say that this position will bring you much needed experience in retail, or that it would allow you to take on more management responsibility. Whatever it is, make it specific to that job and your work history. That's the second paragraph. Then close by saying that you hope to have the opportunity to discuss the position further. If you learn something about where you are applying and put it in there, that would be good too. A few sentences on an email are not enough. Make sure that your name, address, and contact info are on the cover letter too, not just on the resume. This is a business letter and should be fully filled out. Good luck.

Answer 2

Look on careerbuilder or monster.com. They will give you suggestions on what to include and what to leave off. Also, Microsoft Word has a template for resumes.