In the 21st century a large portion of employment applications are submitted online. Although there is almost always a section to attach a cover letter, many of today’s job hunters skip right over the opportunity. They want to get right to the resume submission, saving time so they can move onto the next application.
Others may submit one but are guilty of the copy and paste method. Saved on their computer, it is very tempting to just copy and paste, using the same cover letter to each job applied. Although both methods certainly save time and energy,other person it is not likely to help you get the job.
As you compose each cover letter put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes. Which would impress you more; a stiff, generic letter that says very little about the sender or a well thought out one with examples as to why the applicant is the best one for the job?
A cover letter is an opportunity to market yourself, and it may be the only shot you get. When a company launches a new product or service the chances are that they will pay someone a decent amount of money to write marketing copy that will sell it effectively. In this instance you are the product, so taking the time to craft a great cover letter which highlights all of your selling points is definitely worth the effort.
Chances are there will be dozens of resumes that contain qualifications similar to your own for each position you consider. A great cover letter may just be the thing that makes yours stand out from the crowd.
