You have a great resume, but if you ever want it read, you need an introduction that has impact, and that means a great cover letter that separates you from the rest of the pack.
With the financial services sector having experienced such a drastic reduction in force in recent years, the competition for jobs today is tougher than ever. There are literally thousands of qualified, experienced, motivated professionals applying for a relative handful of opportunities.
So what is it that will get the hiring manager to look at your resume? Many career experts suggest that you focus your attention and energy on creating a dynamic cover letter. A cover letter is a sales letter. It’s selling you.
Before the digital age, resumes were always accompanied by a cover letter, swaddled in a blanket of bravado. But today, more often than not, resumes sail through as e-mail attachments or are up-and-downloaded completely naked. The cover letter has become the most neglected part of the job hunting process. Ironically, it can still be the difference between you getting your foot in the door, or being left still standing outside, clutching your grand resume.
And while a good cover letter may help you a bit, a poor one will almost certainly kill your chances entirely. Here’s what many professionals have found to be the key factors in creating a cover letter that works:
If you haven’t spent a painful evening or two on your cover letter, you haven’t done enough to get that next position. Today’s firms are keenly interested in the right “fit,” and cover letters give them a first insight into your personality. But once resumes have been culled, and you are among those still standing, your cover letter can and will set you apart from the other candidates. Make sure it represents you well.