Before an employer agrees to an interview, they need to be convinced that you are a great candidate for the position. This is where your resume is an essential marketing tool. It demonstrates to an employer your skills, experience and writing ability. Make sure your spelling and grammar are impeccable.
You should be creative, bold and humorous in your Cover Letter, but always be yourself. Nothing impresses an employer more than your knowledge of them or the company. Try and key in on something that will make your cover letter stand out; find some pertinent information about the company. Of course you only want to focus on the positive.
Employers use the resume process to narrow their selection. They will choose the best of the best as perceived by what is in your resume. Your resume is your only initial sales tool to impress the employer enough to give you an interview. As the bad cliché goes – You can only make a first impression once.
It's important that your resume be as strong and positive as possible. A poorly organized and haphazardly written resume demonstrates to the employer that you are not serious about yourself, and if you are not serious about yourself, you are probably not going to be an asset to the company.
The questions that are going through the minds of employer are:
• Can you solve problems?
• What are your strengths / weaknesses?
• What are the benefits of hiring you over someone else?
• How will you fit into the company?
• Will you have a strong commitment to your job?
• How independent are you / can you be a team player?
• Are you a fast learner?
Don’t forget to do your homework about the company, its history, its goals, products, etc. You can apply this information and dramatically stand out with a creative cover letter! Find information about the company by reading the company’s website, brochures, do a Google search, and look at competitors. There’s tons of good information out there if you look.
If you submit a boilerplate cover letter and boring resume, you find yourself at the bottom of the resume pile.