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Cover Letters

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Writing a Winning Cover Letter. Your curriculum vitae cover letter is both an introduction and a sales pitch.

Writing a Winning Cover Letter

“It should show what sets this individual apart from all others,” advises Professor Jeffrey Stansbury, chair of the faculty search committee at the Department of Craniofacial Biology of the University of Colorado School of Dentistry in Denver. Like any good sales pitch, your cover letter should motivate the customer to learn more about the product--in this case, you. A good cover letter, like a good sales pitch, has several characteristics. First, like a good doctor, it does no harm; it avoids making a negative impression. Second, it demonstrates that the product suits the consumer's--your future employer's--specific needs. The Objective “A successful candidate impresses the committee right off with the cover letter and makes the committee members actually want to dig through the CV and recommendation letters to pull out the details that start to validate the positive claims,” says Stansbury.

The Match Planning. The Commandments of Cover Letter Creation. I've always hated the term "cover letter.

The Commandments of Cover Letter Creation

" It implies that the letter you send out to accompany your résumé, the opening shot in your job-hunt campaign, is merely "decoration" for your résumé. A good cover letter does far more than just cover: It engages the reader and makes her want to explore your job qualifications more fully. A good cover letter also highlights your qualifications, guides the reader through the most important parts of your work history, and demonstrates your flawless command of the English language. That's a lot to cover in only three paragraphs! Don't be daunted. I have distilled eons of wisdom about cover letters into a list of 10 commandments (well, commandments is a little strong; how about recommendations?)

Recommendation #1: Tell them why you're writing! This may seem obvious, but you must be specific from the outset about why you are sending someone your résumé. Recommendation #2: Tell them how you fit. Most mediocre cover letters are not specific. Paragraph 1: How to Write a Cover Letter. Edit Article Sample Cover LettersWrite an Email Cover LetterWrite a Paper Cover LetterReview Your Cover LetterQuestions to Ask Yourself when Preparing Your Cover Letter Edited by Carla Vaughan, Nazca, Heather Eagar, Flickety and 124 others Poor cover letters.

How to Write a Cover Letter

As much as we despise them, they are a chance to make a case, to cover everything we can’t express in our resumes – which is a lot – and come across as real people to potential employers. Don’t throw together a cover letter in the hope that nobody will actually read it. Ad Steps Sample Cover Letters Here are some well-written sample letters you can copy and use as a starting point. Method 1 of 4: Write an Email Cover Letter 1Include a salutation. 5End your cover letter with a respectful closing statement. Method 2 of 4: Write a Paper Cover Letter 1Add a letterhead at the top of the letter. 9Make a notation of the enclosures. Method 3 of 4: Review Your Cover Letter 1Spell-check and proofread. 2Read your letter aloud to hear how it reads.