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Because
a cover letter is your first chance to make a
lasting impression with a hiring manager, it must be
professional. To accomplish this:
1.
Always use the same heading for your cover letter
that you have used in your resume.
2.
Whenever possible, use the hiring manager's name.
This personalizes the document and shows attention
to detail.
3.
Include in your opening paragraph what job you're
interested in and a specific reason as to why you
feel qualified for this position.
4.
Include in the body of the letter the specific
experience, skills or accomplishments from your past
that dovetail with the requirements of the new job.
This data should be bulleted, rather than presented
in a solid block of text. The human eye is drawn to
bulleted areas, and they provide the data in an
easy-to-read format, so that the hiring manager can
digest the information from one sentence before
moving on to the others.
Examples
of bulleted areas follow:
As my
enclosed resume indicates, my background includes
more than two decades of service at US Flight with
significant experience in:
-
Aircraft accident investigation as a member of the
US Flight disaster team.
-
Security checkpoints, where I handled countless
calls for assistance.
-
Training the Ground Security team to protect and
promote public safety.
In
addition to the above skills, I can also offer your
firm:
More
than 30 years of experience in the airline industry.
Expertise in dealing with government agencies,
including the FAA where I facilitated communications
to reduce company fines.
Reduced absenteeism and occupational injuries --
standards I maintained at US Flight, where I
achieved the best employee safety record of all US
Flight cities.
5. If the letter is being addressed to a specific
hiring manager, close your letter proactively
indicating that you will be contacting the hiring
manager's office within the next week to see if you
might set up a time to meet.
Sending Your Cover Letter by "Snail" Mail
With
today's technology, most resumes and cover letters
are sent as attachments via email. However, if you
have reason to send your cover letter and resume by
"snail" mail, the documents should be printed on
good bond paper (20 lbs.) with a watermark. Choose
a color that evokes professionalism; the best
choices are white or cream, though a light gray can
also be considered.
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