
Is a well-prepared resume enough to convince potential employers that you should be called in for an interview? Don't be too sure. Not including a cover letter with your resume--even when you submitted it online--is passing up a key opportunity to sell your skills. A recent nationwide survey by Accountemps found that 60 percent of executives believe the cover letter is either as important as or more critical than the resume. A cover letter allows you to direct the reader's attention to aspects of your resume that are most relevant, demonstrate your knowledge of the company you're writing to and

You have skills that employers want. But those skills won't get you a job if no one knows you have them. Good resumes, applications, and cover letters broadcast your abilities. They tell employers how your qualifications match a job's responsibilities. If these paper preliminaries are constructed well, you have a better chance of landing interviews--and, eventually, a job.
Modern technology has added a new twist to preparing resumes and cover letters. The availability of personal computers and laser printers has raised employers' expectations of the quality of resumes and cover letters applicants produce. Electronic mail, Internet postings, and software that "reads"

A cover letter serves as a tool for you to present yourself to an interviewer and make a favorable impression about your skills and personality outside of your resume. A cover letter can be more personable than a resume, and may serve to present your personality better than a resume. Often, an impressive cover letter will increase a potential employer's desire to more seriously read your resume. Conversely, a poorly written cover letter can discourage an employer from taking your resume seriously. The following information and format is essential to a good cover letter.
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