Cover Letters for a CV that Land the Interview
The success of your job search, especially for highly competitive fields, depends largely on your ability to quickly make an excellent first impression. Human resources personnel and others involved in the hiring process may have only minutes to review your curriculum vitae, and human nature being what it is, may make their decision in mere seconds.
If you can't make yourself seem appealing to an employer in those seconds, what may be in the fine details of your resume will not matter much. Make those seconds work for you! Well-crafted cover letters for your CV will help you make a remarkable first impression.
The Commercial for Your Resume
The cover letter should not simply be a synopsis of your resume, although it should include one or two of your finer accomplishments. Think of the cover letter for your CV like the thirty-second commercial to your curriculum vitae's longer infomercial- you need to sell yourself directly to the employer, and quickly. Your first two sentences should grab the potential employer's attention, but not seem gimmicky or overly casual. Show that you know what they need, and what they need is you!
Discuss some of the challenges you've faced that have made you a stronger candidate for this position. Talk about some of the independent work you've done. Show that you are a self-motivated, hardworking employee in your cover letter, and your curriculum vitae will simply confirm for potential employers that you are the right candidate for the job.
Mention a hobby or volunteer work that you do that provides relevant experience or skills for the position you're applying for. Demonstrate that your curriculum vita is just the beginning of the valuable skills and qualities you bring to the positions you hold.
Cover Letters for a CV
Remember those seconds you have to make that powerful first impression? Yes, keep your cover letter brief. Two paragraphs are all it should take to cover the most salient points. Make it powerful. Use active voice, and make sure that longer sentences are interspersed with shorter ones. Make your cover letter exciting to read, and your potential employer will be excited to read your curriculum vitae and even more exciting to meet you in person.
Your employer has a problem: the organization has a need to fill this position to get essential duties performed. Show that you are not just a suitable candidate for the position, but the answer to problems they may not have encountered yet. The cover letters for a CV should make potential employer realize that you are the candidate of their dreams.
