Cover Letters

When it comes to cover letters, think of me as your 4th grade teacher. Mine was Miss Rollins -- and she was something -- fair, tough, and a stickler for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

When my clients have jobs that require the successful candidate to write business documents I always require a cover letter. When the position requires professional writing skills, such as a marketing position, the cover letter is even more important. Each job position will emphasize that a cover letter is required and candidates who send resumes without covers will not be moved forward.

A candidate recently applied to two different jobs I have posted and his cover letters consisted mainly of my own bullet points preceded by a statement that he met all of the qualifications. That is not an adequate or helpful cover letter. He did not address our most important needs, he did not show how his diverse background could be used in this position, he did nothing to take what was on his resume and relate that experience to this job. Those are the things I look for in a cover letter.

If you send me a cover letter and resume, you don't have to please Miss Rollins -- and for that you should be grateful.