The role of the cover letter

The cover letter is intended to serve a purpose for both you and the employer. You can use it to captivate your audience and intrigue them so they can’t wait to meet you in person. It should grasp and hold the attention of the reader and make them want to know more.

For the employer, the cover letter is the quick-scan piece. It is here that the employer hopes to be pleasantly surprised by the impact of a few select applicants. But more often than not, it’s the tool by which the search process is narrowed and potential candidates are eliminated. The cover letter thereby serves in saving valuable time that would otherwise be spent reading resumes or meeting unqualified candidates. It will usually tell an employer enough for him to make a definite determination about moving forward with a particular applicant.

If your cover letter doesn’t pass the grade, your resume won’t even be looked at. A poorly constructed cover may blow an opportunity, even if you are completely qualified for a role and you have an excellent resume to show your qualifications. So be sure your cover letter jumps out of the pile and gets the reader’s attention.

To most effectively utilize the cover letter in your overall presentation, you must understand its role:

Your cover should not be a summary of your resume.  A common mistake is that job seekers make too much reference to the content of the resume, thereby increasing the amount of time the employer spends reading the same information. If an employer does like your cover letter and decides to read on and peruse your resume, they will be disappointed at finding the same material merely presented in a different layout.

What your cover letter should do is indicate your interest in the position, supported with statements that speak to your professional growth. It should show a career path leading directly to this particular opportunity and convincingly demonstrate how your goals clearly line up with the position in question.

It can also make a strong statement as to how you are best qualified for the role. The cover letter can then serve to introduce your resume and any attached documents.

Your cover letter needn’t do any more than just that. It should achieve these few objectives and do it well.

Understanding the role of the cover letter can save your application from making a premature trip to the shredder.