You have sent your resume to the HR person of a reputed company. Do you expect him to go through it? If you do, you will be disappointed. He has too much of work to do and why should he go through your resume in the midst of all that? How is it relevant to him? He might just dump it somewhere.

Don't worry. You can make him read your resume. How? You just need to give an introduction. Introduce yourself and make it clear that you are looking for a job in his company. Highlight your skills and strengths and tell him how you would be an asset to the organization, if appointed. This would definitely spur the interest of the recruiter and he will give your resume serious consideration.

How do you give this introduction? A letter can help. Letter? Yes, a cover letter helps you introduce yourself to the person who goes through your resume. It has to go with the resume to the employer.

How should the cover letter be?
The cover letter should be short and concise. It should never exceed one page.

In the first paragraph say who you are, which is the post that you are applying for and also how you came to know about the opening in the organization. In case you are inquiring about some job, which was not advertised, indicate your interest in the position as well as the organization. It is always good to give a reason as to why you are interested in the organization.

The information regarding how you came to know about the opening is very important to the employer. He would like to know which is the most effective medium to reach prospective employees.

In the second paragraph you have to market yourself without it being evident to the recruiter that you are doing that. Highlight your valuable skills and strengths and remind the employer that the details are there in the resume. Concentrate on stressing how you can add value to the organization, if appointed.

Now, in the concluding paragraph, once again remind the recruiter that you have enclosed your resume. Express your eagerness to meet him to know more about the position. You can give the contact phone number and the e-mail ID here. Also thank him for going through your cover letter and resume.

Here are some more points to be kept in mind while preparing cover letters.

• Each cover letter should be original. You can send the copies of the same resume to different companies, but the rule does not apply in the case of cover letters. You should have different personalized cover letters for different employers.
• Try to address the person using his name. Instead of Dear Sir/ Madam it is better to use the name in a polite manner (e.g.- Dear Mr/Ms.X).
• Keep it brief. Your resume has all the facts about you and the cover letter just accompanies to make a quick introduction. So the cover letter has to be very short and to the point. If it were too lengthy the employer would lose interest halfway. So, avoid rehashing the resume for him.
• Be specific. Whatever points you make, be specific. Instead of saying that you were working for a reputed company and that you have made significant contributions to the same, clearly say how you contributed. For e.g.- you can give specific details of how you lead a team and achieved wonderful results in your previous company. The employer would not miss it.
• Use simple and correct language. Never begin the letter in a dramatic way. Active voice can help you make the letter impressive. Avoid complex and compound sentences, jargons and technical terms. Write in a natural, conversational tone. Your cover letter is the first piece written by you that the prospective employer reads. If there are too many mistakes, it will create a bad impression. So proof read the letter for grammatical and spelling mistakes.
• Do not try to impress the employer by stating in the resume that you are a dynamic and enterprising person or you are very good at crisis management and so on if you do not have supporting facts. Leave it to him to decide after an interview or test or even after contacting your former employer.
• Looks matter. The employer daily goes through lots of cover letters. Attracting his attention to your cover letter would definitely be a Herculean task. Here the looks of the letter would help. Give a professional look to the letter. Avoid using fancy fonts and leave enough white space on the letter in order to avoid the cluttered look. The quality of the paper used should be good. Use the same paper for the resume as well as the cover letter since they always go together. While sending, choose the right envelope, so that you will not have to fold the letter many times and push it in to a cover. It should reach the employer in a neat and perfect shape.
• Sign your letter. You signature is very important at the bottom of the letter. Never forget to put your signature.
• And finally, there are no set rules and principles for writing a cover letter. The only thing is that it should introduce you in a simple way in very few words to the employer and it should be straightforward and error free.