Job seekers often send a resume out without a cover letter. This occurs frequently in today’s web search environment where resumes are sent out with a mouse click. This is perhaps because of the ease of sending out resumes quickly to many employers, causing an attitude or belief that a cover letter is unnecessary. Some Job seekers tend to wonder just how important it is to include a cover letter.
A cover letter is necessary for one simple reason: over 99% of resumes that are sent without a cover letter are discarded without even being read!
A cover letter differs functionally from a resume. While a resume is a document that provides a broad-based view of your entire career, the cover letter is much more specific and targeted. A cover letter is specifically designed to team up with your resume to get you an interview by highlighting your skills, experiences, and achievements; identifying your value to the specific organization; capturing the prospective employer's interest in you; and motivating that employer to invite you for an interview. It is an opportunity to sell your qualifications and successes, demonstrate your expertise, and create excitement and enthusiasm that places you above the competition.
The days of treating a cover letter as a mere formal request to review a resume and grant an interview are gone! Cover letters are an integral part of your self-marketing and branding to employers. Don’t send a resume without one!
Copyright © 2009 Michael G. Kelly
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