Know WHY - Before You Learn HOW To Write a Cover Letter

But many who are searching for this information about how to write a cover letter are putting the cart before the horse. I have said this before, and I will repeat it again: you can't learn how to write a one until you know why you are writing it. So why are you writing this essential document? To waste another perfectly good hour? No!

One reason: to pull yourself out of the rat race!

More prosaically, you are writing the letter so that you can get an interview for the job you want. You are forging a personal connection with the potential employer for one purpose: to ask for the interview. Here's why it works.

The resume is necessary. It reveals your skills, qualifications, and experience. That's important when you are applying for a job. No one's going to bring you into their company unless they know "where you've been." But a resume is also impersonal.

While a resume gives a summary of your work and skills, it can't do one very important thing: show the potential employer exactly what they have to gain from hiring you. Think about it - why would a company hire you without benefiting from the decision? They don't care about filling a chair. They want you to make their company work better.

That's where the cover letter comes in. It has the power to speak directly to your future employer. Not only that - it can speak directly to the person who is going to call you in for an interview, and even hire you. So what are you going to do with this opportunity? If you are like so many job applicants... you will just throw it away.

Most people will use the letter to repeat what they've already said in their interview. Their letter might expand on their qualifications for the job. But it won't tell the company exactly how it will benefit from hiring them. And another mistake... it won't ask for the job.

So, first you must show your potential employer how they will benefit from hiring you. Then you must openly and clearly ask for the interview. Those are the two most important things anyone must do in a cover letter. If you don't do them, you are throwing your chances away just like everyone else. But if you do these things, you will stand head and shoulders above 99% of job applicants.

A cover letter that grabs the attention of a hiring manager is the key to getting any interview. I've created a FREE quick and easy video and email training course for writing a cover letter that will get you interviews. Get it here: http://how-to-write-a-cover-letter.net/access/signup.html