Career Tips from L&S Successworks!
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What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter always comes with a resume -- it is intended to spotlight some of your best experiences from your resume, and to compare them to the job for which you’re applying.
A cover letter is not about your skills; it’s about the job you’re applying to, and how your skills are a good match for it.
Okay, but how do I write a cover letter?
Start by looking at the job description and picking out some of the Required Skills that you feel you can really prove yourself with.
Then, write a five-paragraph essay (in letter format) which demonstrates those skills from your work examples. Focus the paragraphs on the skills, rather than your individual jobs.
A cover letter is not just an essay version of your resume.
Do I really need to write a cover letter for every single job?
Yes and no….. It’s really critical that a cover letter is tailored for each job -- a cover letter with no mention of the employer or the job is bland and boring. How does the interviewer know you didn’t send the same letter to fifty other companies?
You don’t need to write a brand-new cover letter from scratch every time, though. The job might be different, but your skills don’t change! You can use previous letters to start new letters.
Want more info? Check out SuccessWorks’ resources on cover letters, or make an appointment with an advisor!
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