Cover letter

[Sir Lifts-a-lot]

So I am about to write a cover letter for a possible new job and for the life of me I don't know what to put in it. It has been about five years since I did this last. What are you fellas putting in them these days to catch employers eyes?

[SVTmuscle]

google it, check out some examples are Resumeprowriters

[JiGGaMaN]

dont even include one. Unless you are trying to hide the pile of crap on the next page.

[daem]

I used to work in the career center at my university for a job and reviewed/wrote countless resumese/cover letters before I graduated, so I know the importance.

As far as cover letters go, it depends on what kind of role you are seeking. Many professional roles require top notch communications skills, and a cover letter allows you to demonstrate your writing abilities.

A cover letter can often times help differentiate candidates as part of a pre-screen. Also, it can help a recruiter ask the right questions and find out more about a candidate in a shorter amount of time.

Cover letters generally dive DEEP into specific resume items that deserve special attention.

One word of caution...You can do alot of damage with a poor cover letter, so keep that in mind when writing.

Good luck...If you want some more advice, post the industry/role you are looking at and I can tell you some general tips that may apply to you.

[Rugger02]

I'll give you an example of mine when I get home, what position are you applying for?

[Sir Lifts-a-lot]

Hey fellas sorry for not getting back to you sooner.

The position is for a personal assistants position for a relatively high class VIP.

I basically want to know what some good ideas are to include in the cover letter as well as ways to jazz up my resume overall without sounding too pompas.

[AdamGH]

Here is an example on that I use:



"{Month Day, Year}"


"{Name of Hiring Manager}"
{Title}
"{Company Name}"
"{Street Address}"
"{City, State Zip Code}"

Dear "{Mr./Ms. Last Name}" ,

This letter is to express my interest in the X position listed on CareerBuilder.com. Based on my skills in X and X (match what is listed in the posting), I am confident that I would be a great addition to your team.

My resume that highlights my ability/knowledge/expertise in X and X areas/industries is enclosed. During my time at X (past company), I was able to (succeed/save money/save time/increase sales/increase productivity) in X . (List a specific example relevant to this position, focusing on how you can help the company.)

I am excited about the X position and the ability to help your company succeed. Thank you in advance for your time. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I would appreciate the opportunity to review my qualifications in more detail and will contact you next X (day of week).

Sincerely,



Name

[Rugger02]

Here's a copy of my cover letter I used when I got my current job. It's sort of generic so will probably apply pretty well.




To Whom It May Concern:

Please find enclosed my resume’, describing my skills, and employment experience. I believe my qualifications will offer you assurance that I will make a positive contribution to your company; it’s growth and achieving its goals.

I have an employment background that covers a wide variety of skills. You will find that in the past five years I have been repeatedly recognized as a leader and been given the opportunity to share my talents with my co-workers through training and participative supervision.

My strength is in developing employees by gaining their trust and recognizing the ability within them and showing them how to bring it out so they may apply it to their job duties.

Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have questions or need further clarification regarding the information I have enclosed.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Sir Lifts Alot

[Rugger02]

Here's my "Objective which I put in before my references and what-not. You will obviously fill in the blanks differently than me but it's a good overview and I think the wording is pretty good too.



OBJECTIVE:
An adept, enthusiastic, and highly motivated professional with experience in leadership. Posses excellent communication and organizational skills, and am seeking the position of _______with ______

PROFILE:

MANAGEMENT SKILLS:
Ability to manage time and team members to efficiently perform job duties.
Motivational and passionate worker; able to lead by example.
Strongly believe in bringing out the best effort in each worker to create a cohesive and single-minded team, driven to maximize productivity and continually improve themselves in the pursuit of perfection.
Proficient at all applicable computer programs; including Microsoft Word, Works, Excel, and many company programs; including AS400, Routing, Outlook, Shipping, Gatekeeper, Infor-XA and Atlas.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Valued for being trustworthy, respectful and professional when dealing with co-workers and peers.
Experienced in Predictive Index and Neuro Linguistic Programming, Able to adapt to different personality types in order to communicate most effectively with each individual.
Firm believer in communicating expectations to others and helping to empower them in order meet and exceed expectations.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
Well rounded knowledge and practice of all LEAN standards; supervise and train new hires on the purpose and importance of LEAN Manufacturing and how it applies to them and their job responsibilities. Intimately familiar with the “Four P’s” of successful LEAN manufacturing.
Organized, efficient and very flexible. Able to effectively multi-task without losing sight of my goals.