"The Importance Of Cover Letter"

Why Cover Letters Are Important?
The cover letter is your first opportunity to engage a prospective employer. It is a key marketing tool to convince the employer to take the time to look at your resume.The primary purpose is to get an interview and The second purpose is to communicate “the intangibles” not readily apparent from the factual content of your resume.It should be written in a tone that is direct, unassuming, and conveys enthusiasm. Your cover letter must contain and convey your personal brand message so that hiring managers are compelled to contact you.

How to Make Your Cover Letter Really Work? 
1- Make it different and unique (BRAND).
2- Provide specific ways you might be able to help the prospective employer.3- Tell an interesting, compelling story that makes employers want to read further.4- Be sure it contains the “wow” factor.5- Persuade employers that you are the best candidate for the position.

What Makes a Successful Cover Letter

1- Attract the reader to read your resume.
2- Summarizes your major achievements in brief statements that make an impact.
3- Shows you will be an asset to prospective employers and will be able to improve their businesses grow and/or meet their challenges.
4- Compels employers to call you in for an interview. 

How To Write A Cover Letter?
Your cover letter should be one page with approximately 4 to 6 paragraphs. The first few sentences should entice the reader with your general qualifications right up front (a benefit-driven statement), indicate what type of position you are applying for, and explain why you would be an asset to the firm.
The middle paragraphs substantiate why you are a qualified applicant for this particular position and summarize some heavy-hitter achievements you have already accomplished as proof.
The last paragraph states your call to action, what you plan to do next or want the reader to do.

"Personal branding is critical in today’s world of work. Knowing your personal brand, developing it, and using it is a trade secret that will greatly increase your odds of getting hired." 

Personal branding is an essential career and reputation management marketing tool that creates a successful, credible identity so that hiring managers who view your brand know your value proposition and your return on their investment and seek you out.

THE BENEFITS OF PERSONAL BRANDING
1- Make readers want to read your resume and call you in for an interview.
2- Helping you sell yourself to prospective employers and increase your earning potential.
3- Employers will immediately know what position you are seeking and what distinguishes you from the competition.
4- It helps to establish you as an expert in your own professional niche and build a solid reputation in your field.
5- When you brand yourself, you make it clear to employers that you can help them solve their problems, meet their challenges, increase their bottom line.
EXAMPLE:
"As a marketing specialist, I develop and launch innovative new products and brands for new untapped target markets of forward-thinking companies so they can dramatically increase their revenues through my visionary creativity."

THE 5 CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF PERSONAL BRANDING 
1- Assets/features: (Qualities, Attributes, Skills that can be valuable to employer)
2- Benefits: (the ways in which your features help employers)
3- Competitive edge: (Unique strengths of you that make you stand out from others in your profession)
4- Value proposition: The total worth of all of the benefits you can offer an employer in exchange for salary by way of promised deliverables backed by matching achievements. (Obviously, employers want the value of all the benefits you offer to be higher than the cost of paying you.)
5- Return on investment (ROI): A measurement of your contributions (expected future value) to an employer. You can get this number by dividing the amount of money you have saved or earned (or a similar measurement appropriate to your field) for your employers by the cost of hiring you. (Naturally, prospective employers want this number to be high.)

A WINNING COVER LETTER FORMULA

Now that you have developed your first cover letter paragraph to attract and spark the interest of your prospective employers, think in terms of this sequence for the remainder of your cover letter: 

1- The first paragraph attracts your audience via your personal brand message or other “wow” factor.
2- The second paragraph explains what you have to offer through your matching qualifications and value proposition.
3- The third paragraph validates your value proposition describing your related achievements.
4- The fourth (optional) paragraph sparks additional interest via a related story or eye-opening comment.
5- The fifth paragraph summarizes the letter and closes with a statement of interest and a call to action.

FIRST PARAGRAPH EXAMPLES:
"I believe my [broad experience/professional skill set/background/other: ___] in all [phases/aspects] of ___ [area or industry] coupled with my [master’s/ bachelor’s/ associate degree in __ (major) or other feature: ___] uniquely qualifies me for a ___ [job title or type of] position in your [firm/company/organization]. I am enclosing my resume for your consideration." 

"As a successful ____ [type of] [executive/manager/professional], I bring to your organization more than ____ [number] years of progressively responsible experience in ___, _____, and ____ [areas of expertise] for the ___ [type of] industry. My expertise lies in____ and ___ [competitive edge knowledge]. My resume is enclosed for your consideration." 

"Working within the___ [which?] industry to [sell/promote/provide/other: ___] beneficial [products/programs/projects/services/other: ____] is my passion. Throughout my career, building outstanding _____ [what?] and securing ____ [what?] have been major sources of challenge and [achievement /satisfaction /reward/other:____] for me. My enclosed resume details my career thus far." 

"With more than ___ [number] years of____ [type of] experience and a consistent track record of [increasing profitability/improving service/decreasing costs/other: ___], I am confident that I can do the same for ____ [whom or what?] at____ [prospective employer]. A ____ [asset], I have ____[accomplishment]. As such, I am enclosing my resume for your review."

SECOND PARAGRAPH EXAMPLES
"I am experienced in ____, ____, and ___ [doing what?] for my employers. I believe my _____ [type of] expertise, _____ [skill or attribute] abilities, and ____ [type of] skills are a perfect combination for a(n) ____ [type of] professional. I am confident that the enthusiasm and experience I can bring to your organization will prove to be assets in achieving your firm’s goals as they have been for others." 

"In addition to my expertise in ____, ____, and ___ [areas of expertise], I am actively involved in ____ [what area?] as well as ____ [what area?]. I am committed to [embracing modern technological improvements for ___ (area)/other: _____] while ____ [doing what?]." 

"Complementing my ability to ____ [do what?] and effectively_____ [do what?] are equally strong qualifications in ____,_____, _____, and ___ [areas of expertise]. I am able to provide strategic direction with appropriate tactical action plans to meet those needs while responding to the constantly changing demands of the _____ [type of] industry."

" Throughout the past ____ [number] years, I have been [actively/heavily] involved in the [strategic/tactical/other:__] planning required to align ____ [type of] initiatives with budget dollars in the support of [business/mission-critical/other: ___] needs for ____ [whom or what?]. I have established a reputation built on _______ [type of] excellence through the delivery of [innovative/practical/costeffective/ other: ____] solutions that [increase efficiency/boost performance/elevate revenues/other:___]. Prior to this, I spent [a number of/______ (number)] years working as a(n) _____ [job title]." 

THIRD PARAGRAPH EXAMPLES
" I have a proven track record of [increasing sales and profits/elevating profits/decreasing costs/streamlining operations/ increasing productivity/other: ____]. Notable achievements include ____, ____, ___, and _______ [your most significant accomplishments]. Please see the attached resume for details."

"Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated my ability to ______ [benefit or value provided] by ______ [skills] to ensure attainment of goals. I have gained a solid reputation for_______ and _____ [personal attributes or areas of expertise] resulting in______ [what ROI?] for my employers." 

"Currently as ___ [job title] of ______ [employer name], I have taken [the company/  my department/other: ___] from ____ [dollar amount, percentage, or other measurement] to___ [dollar amount, percentage, or other measurement] in [annual sales/market share/other:___].  I also have received [awards/ promotions/ commendations/other: ____] for______ [primary achievements]." 

"A sample of my achievements in _____ [areas of expertise] include
● Earning ___ [what?] from ___ [whom?], honoring my ____ [achievement honored].
● Overseeing _____ [whom or what?], resulting in______ [benefits].
● Developing ____ [what?] that identified and resolved ___ [employer/industry issues].
● Managing_____ [what?], _____ [benefit to past employer].
● Initiating____ [what?] to ____ [benefit]." 

"I offer a brief overview of my expertise and invite you to peruse my resume, which provides more in-depth information:
● History of undertaking challenging ____ [type of] assignments, including_____, ____, and ____ [what?]. I have repeatedly been sought out to undertake these and other [projects/events/ other: ___] due to my ____ [features], which ______ [benefit], and my ability to______ [value proposition].
● Instinctive knowledge and ability to___ [skills] and to implement _ [what?].
● Vital ability to ____ [area of expertise] and to_______ [area of expertise].
● Excellent ______ [type of] qualifications include ____ and ____ [what degrees, certifications, software, or special knowledge?], which I have found invaluable when combined with my_____ and ___ [features]."

FOURTH PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
"Consistently Achieve _____ [what?] There can be only one reason for these results: a consuming passion for ______ [your field]! Working within the____ [which?] industry and with individuals to [sell/promote/educate/other: ____] on a beneficial [mission/product/program/project/goal/other:______]—this has been my [lifeblood/passion/interest/ other:____]." 

" My search for companies who share my passion for success put ___ [prospective employer] at the top of my list. Here’s why: As the ____ [job title] of a successful company, I took it as job number one to_____ [do what?]. And because nobody told me it couldn’t be done, I made it happen. Now that________ [separation circumstances], I want that dream to come true again, this time in a partnership with ____ [prospective empployer]. I would never make such a bold suggestion if I couldn’t offer a strong return on investment for both of us." 

CLOSING PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE
"I believe ______ [prospective employer] will benefit from my ______ [type of] approach to [operational excellence/enhancing the bottom line/improving productivity/other: ______]. I look forward to speaking with you soon to discuss how my expertise can bring immediate and lasting results to your company. I will contact you soon to set up an interview, or you may contact me at ______ [phone number]." 

"Thank you for your time and consideration, [Mr./Ms.] ____ [hiring manager’s last name]. I look forward to the possibility of discussing the opportunity of contributing my ______ [benefits] to your highly [innovative /motivated /productive/other: _____] team. May I hear from you soon? "

"I am excited by the prospect of an opportunity to work with ____ [prospective employer]. I would like to meet with you to discuss my ____[type of] qualifications in more detail and would appreciate a personal interview. I will [call/email] you next week to follow up." 

"I would welcome the chance to meet with you to discuss ______’s [prospective employer] business needs and my qualifications in more detail. I am confident that I can deliver results similar to those described above for your firm and look forward to a personal interview. Please call me at _______ [phone number] or email me at ________ [email address] at your earliest convenience for a mutual return on investment."

What to Do and What Not to Do in a Cover Letter? 

Don’t:
1- Copy generic statements.
2- Bore your reader with job description information they are already aware of.
3- Replicate the information contained in your resume.
4- Send out broadcast cover letters if you can help it.
Do:
1- Write compelling, marketing-savvy statements that make readers take notice.
2- Back up your outlandish, head-turning statements with achievement facts.
3- Make promises you can keep.
4- Determine what your possible return on investment is to prospective employers.
5- Conduct company research so that you can obtain the name, title, and company name and address of your targeted employers.
6- Show how you are a match for a position opening by including all of the requirements in the original job posting and noting your expertise and qualifications in these areas.