Jobs Magazine December 26, 2014 – January 1, 2015 | Page 8

JOBS RESOURCES

Do you need to send a

COVER LETTER?
By Wanda Marie Thibodeaux
A job cover letter is a document that, traditionally,
you send along with your resume when applying for
employment. It long has been a standard component
of business hiring, but in recent years has become
slightly controversial as technology has changed the
recruitment and selection process. Looking at the
advantages and drawbacks can help you decide to
include one with your own resume.

ADVANTAGES

YOU CAN GET A LITTLE PERSONAL.

When candidates are very similar in skill, experience or knowledge, it’s the personal stuff--for
example, why you are drawn to a particular industry
or are switching careers--that ultimately makes a hiring manager lean one way or another. Understanding
this, personal details generally are out of place on a
resume, which paints a picture of who you are and

what you can do through clearly stated facts and
accomplishments. The cover letter gives you a place
to set a tone that conveys your true personality,
energy and vision, or as hiring managers put it, your
brand. Keep in mind that whatever information you
include, you should present it so that it appears as
an asset to the employer, not as what you want or
expect.
A GOOD COVER LETTER HELPS BUILD
EXCITEMENT.

If you construct your cover letter well, your
reviewer should get pumped about the possibility
you could come to work. They should have a good
enough overview of your style, experience and skills
to know that your resume holds potential. If you
don’t use a cover letter, however, the reviewer has to
go in cold, taking whatever excitement he or she can
from the strict facts.

YOU CAN MORE EASILY SHOW YOU’RE
FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPANY AND THE
POSITION.

Even though everything on your resume should be
tailored to the needs of the potential employer, you
can’t come right out and say what you are familiar
with in the new company. The cover letter provides
the opportunity to mention someone who referred
you, explain how you heard about the job, make a
clear link between what the company needs and
what you can offer and say exactly what you hope
to accomplish there through your contributions.
Remember, many companies have more than one
job open at a time, so it’s very helpful for you to be
clear about how you’d like to help the business.

YOUR COVER LETTER CAN SHOW YOUR
ABILITY TO ADAPT AND HOW PROFESSIONAL
YOU ARE.

Cover letters are intended to complement, not
duplicate, resumes. This means that, when you write

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DECEMBER 26, 2014 – JANUARY 1, 2015