Sunday, September 20, 2009

Do's and Don'ts for Cover Letters Samples

By Cynthia Penfold

When you are on the hunt for the job of your dreams, it is a good idea to make sure your cover letters samples are incredibly good. With so many people out of work, the number of applicants for each and every open position is unbelievable. All of this competition means you will not stand a chance at the job if your cover letter is not great.

You can no longer depend on having your cover letter stand out just because there are no spelling and grammar mistakes. Years ago, this type of attention to detail may have made you stand out but not anymore. In fact, right now even one small error can result in your cover letter being dropped from consideration.

There are a number of things you should consider when writing cover letters samples. The length of your cover letter is one of the important factors to consider. You do not want to submit an extremely short cover letter because it will not be long enough to explain why you are the right candidate but, if your cover letter is too long, potential employers will probably not even read it.

Next, it is important to consider readability. It is fair to say the first time a potential employer looks at a cover letter he likely just scans it. This first scan is very important because it can mean whether you remain in consideration for the job or your cover letter and resume are discarded. To make your cover letters samples readable use short paragraphs and conventional font types and sizes.

Lastly, it is critical to avoid the crucial mistake of speaking ill of your previous employer in your cover letter. What you say about your previous employer may be true but it will give the potential employer a bad impression of your. If mentioning your previous employer makes your qualifications more obvious, it is okay to do so but keep the mention to a minimum and make sure you explain how this position prepared you for the job you are seeking.

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