PURPOSE
A cover letter is the job seeker's introduction to the employer or recruiter. It can also be a marketing device. It highlights a few specific points in the job seeker's experience and skills that match or exceed the requirements of the job. As you begin your job search, you will find that many employers will not only request your resume, but will expect a cover letter as well. Many people overlook the importance of a cover letter, and instead only focus on putting an effort into their resume. However, the cover letter is just as important in getting an employer to call you for an interview. In considering how to write a cover letter with resume it is appropriate to first consider what must be written into your cover letter. First, your cover letter should state what job you are applying for,as well as, the qualifications you possess to do this job. The cover letter should leave the employer wanting to know more about you, and cause the reviewer to call you for an interview.
Another factor to consider beyond the content of the cover letter is its presentation. When learning how to write a cover letter with resume, the applicant should use quality paper to print the cover letter and resume.. Not only should the cover letter be printed on quality paper, it should look professional without any creases, stains or smudges.
The reason it is important to put as much effort into learning how to write a cover letter with your resume is the fact that the cover letter will speak for you first. Within this letter, you will briefly provide the reasons why the employer should consider hiring you. The cover letter is an important tool in making your resume stands out from the other resumes that the employer will receive.
5 Rules To Keep In Mind While Writing Cover Letter
1. Put Yourself in the Employer’s Shoes
Never forget who your audience is and why you are writing this letter, it should be employer-focused. In your first paragraph, you need to quickly and clearly answer the employer’s unspoken questions
:
“Who are you?”
“Why have you contacted me?”
“Why should I be interested in meeting you?”
To answer the last question, you need to do some research on the firm. An effective cover letter will
(a) Highlight skills and abilities of most interest to the specific employer reading your letter based on your
knowledge of their needs
(b) Demonstrate that you are familiar with their particular organization.
2. Don’t Re-State Your Resume
Your cover letter should not re-hash your resume. The cover letter is an opportunity to make explicit how the skills you developed previously will be beneficial to this particular employer. The second paragraph of your letter should articulate explicitly where your characteristics and experiences meet their needs. Your introductory sentence or two can assert accomplishments, e.g., “I have developed strong writing skills” or “solid analytical abilities,” but you must have examples that support your claims or conclusions (awards, commendations by employer, professor). If you cannot think of any experience or award that demonstrates this quality or attribute to support your proposition, don’t make the claim. It cannot just be your opinion.
3. Style
A successful cover letter is concise, quickly absorbed, sounds genuine and rings sincere. Don’t write complex, convoluted sentences, or use obscure words in an effort to sound sophisticated and highly educated. Instead, you will come across as pompous and insincere and your letter will be discarded before the reader gets to the signature line. Confidence and competence will be best conveyed through simple, straightforward language. Don’t use outrageous superlatives. Remember that you are a law student building your legal career on a solid academic and practical foundation. Avoid phrases such as “I’m the perfect candidate for this position because…” or “I am confident I will exceed your expectations in every way.” Blunt statements like these rings hollow. Make plausible claims and be sure to support them with credible accounts from your experiences
4. Lying – Don’t!
Don’t manufacture a story, or embellish an experience or credential to impress a prospective
employer. One lie begets another and, typically, you get caught somewhere along the way and the results will be devastating. Integrity is critical in this profession. You want to begin developing a reputation for being trustworthy and honest now.
5. Avoid Typos and Grammatical Errors
Your sentence structure, punctuation and spelling should be flawless. Don’t give the employer a reason to toss your application in the “reject” pile. Does the inside address match the salutation?
Always address your letter to the person responsible for legal hiring, not simply “Hiring Partner.” Make sure the right letter goes into the right envelope. These things may seem intuitive, but many qualified candidates are immediately rejected for seemingly “minor” errors. Attorneys will cut you no slack for a simple typo or, even worse, letters that are sloppy, reflect poor editing or proofing. Nor should they! If you can’t produce a final product that is flawless about yourself, why would an attorney trust you to competently handle client matters? Don’t rush to get them out or prepare the letters when you are too tired to be aware of mistakes. Take the extra time to do the job well and you will receive a better response to your letters.
