From Cover Letter To Interview

by Stephanie Blye

Should somebody synthesize the basic message of a

cover letter

, this message would sound like: "I am the perfect candidate for this position. My skills and abilities are unique and my experience will contribute the development of your company. I am confident that you'll be as enthusiastic about me as I am". Of course, a job seeker's CV should sustain this message entirely.

Speaking of an efficient cover letter, here are 6 steps which will definitely help you transform it in a powerful instrument of opening the doors towards the best jobs on the market:

1. Enhance the problems your employer's company has and stress on the fact that YOU could help him solve those problems.

The reasons companies recruit at a specific moment is because they have various issues to solve. So your cover letter should actually say "I am the answer to all your problems".

2. Show you have information about the hiring company.

The Internet offers you unlimited resources in this regard so getting informed about the profile of a certain company should be a piece of cake! All you have to do is mention one or two things about the company in your cover letter. This will prove the potential employer you have done your homework, thus, you are interested. Why is this an advantage? Well...most candidates are just looking for a job. You, by showing you have info about the employer, show that you are really motivated.

3. Specify your best qualifications and achievements.

This step does not imply that you should repeat the things you have written in your CV, but that you should include enough info about you that the employer gets interested himself. Usually, the cover letter ends in a paragraph saying "Attached is my CV for you to see....". And now, a shot exercise: if your cover letter wouldn't have a CV attached, is it interesting enough for the employer to call you?

4. Show your enthusiasm towards the position you're applying for.

If you want to be different from the other 90% of the people applying for the same job, whose message is, for sure, "give me a job where I can advance fast and earn a lot of money", try this option: "I am excited about the opportunity I am being given and I believe it would value my expertise and potential in a productive way for your company."

5. Mention you will call in a couple of days.

This may sound a not so inspired thing, but if you specify, in a polite way, that you will call back in a couple of days in order to respond to any potential questions and to settle an interview, you will surely get noticed as a confident and determined candidate.

6. Your cover letter should be short and concise.

Our previous experience states that this may be the most delicate aspect of a cover letter. Not telling the story of your life, not loosing yourself into words. The ideal candidate is a person who knows how to focus on a specific topic, knows how to say a lot in less words, knows how to bring good arguments in not more than five paragraphs.