These Two Cover Letter Templates Get Interviews

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If purpose of  a resume is to get you an interview, then what is the purpose of a cover letter?

I believe it’s to personalize your resume submission and pin point certain skills and accomplishments that would be very pertinent to the hiring authority.

As always it’s not what you say it’s the way you say it that counts. The following cover letters have been tested in the real world and they get results i.e. interviews. You can tweek them a little if you want but don’t change them too much: the wording, thought sequence are calculated to get hiring authorities to call you in for an interview. And they will, if you take the time to do it.

Here they are:

Cover letters and thank you letters are in a template format.  Please download into your files.  Any time you need to send out a letter just fill in the information (as stated in the letters) and send it out!

EXAMPLE #1 Cover Letter

Letter in response to an advertisement

Dear __________,

Opening Sentence    In response to your advertisement for the position of (position name) as advertised on (date) in/on (list publication/internet site), enclosed please find a copy of my resume for your review.

                         My (list years) of experience in (list discipline: engineering, H.R. etc.) and my well developed interpersonal and communication skills,  will allow me to add value to the (list department), and to your organization in a short period of time.

Match skill with need

                         As stated in your advertisement, you seek a candidate whose experience includes: (list the top two requirements of the position), (use the ownership words, implemented, designed, developed, etc. to explain your experience as it relates to the requirements).  As you will see when you review my resume, my experience and your needs are very closely related.

Throughout my career, I have always worked at strengthening my ability to work well with others, both in individual and team environments, as well as maintaining  focus on achieving  assigned goals in a timely fashion.

My objective during this job search is  to obtain a position that initially captures my experience, but allows for continued growth and challenge.

End with an action    I look forward to speaking with you soon to discuss the position and how it relates to my background.  I’ll take this opportunity to thank you in advance for allowing me to call you on (specify date) to discuss the possibility of arranging an interview.

                   Sincerely,

EXAMPLE #2 Cover letter

Date

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to your ad in the ___________titled “Financial Analyst”. I am confident that you will find that my background and skills are very much in line with the needs that you have outlined.

As you can see on the enclosed resume, much of my career has been spent in the planning and analysis functions of multinational companies in process manufacturing within the chemical industry.  My recent position as Assistant Controller at Alpha Corporation  included responsibility for capital project analysis and significant involvement with mergers and acquisitions as well as  financial integration.

I would like to call your attention to the following relevant highlights from my background:

Your Requirements                   My Experience

I am very interested in exploring this opportunity further, and will take this opportunity to thank you in advance for allowing me to call you on (specify date) to discuss the possibility of arranging an interview.

Thank you for your kind attention and I look forward to meeting you and your hiring team in the very near future.

Sincerely,   

This Job Hunter’s Bible Might Zen You

If you are out of work there is probably a lot of pressure hitting you from many sides.

You might be looking for a quick, effective tactic to get a job. A quick fix so to speak

So Laurence G. Boldt’s Zen and the Art of Making a Living is probably not for you.

It’s a huge 600 page work of genius on career decision making. The content provides anything but a quick fix for the unemployed.

But if you want to think about work, jobs, making a living et cetera from a very deep and thoughtful level you might want to pick up a copy. I’ve had mine for over 18 years.

It’s not the kind of book you read from cover-to-cover (although it wouldn’t be a bad idea) but instead it provides inspiration and information that might cause you to rethink a lot of your preconceived notions of what a job is.

It might Zen you into seeing that you have more alternatives than you think.

If this is the first time you ever heard of the book, I urge you to pick up a copy.

You could probably get one for less than ten dollars at Half.com.

If you get one, or even if you already have a copy I would love to know what you think of it.