documentation
a s
a n
a ttachment.
M ake
s ure
o ne
o f
t he
s upporting
d ocuments
i s
a
v ery
w ell
w ritten
cover
l etter.
Remember
t he
m ost
i mportant
a spect
o f
a
c over
l etter
i s
t elling
t he
r eader
h ow
y ou
f ulfill
t heir
n eed.
I t
is
n ot
“ I”
f ocused,
b ut
f ocused
e ntirely
o n
w hat
y ou’ve
d one,
t hat
c overs
w hat
t hey
n eed.
EXPLAINING
S PECIAL
C IRCUMSTANCES
Another
v ital
f unction
t he
c over
l etter
c an
f ill
t hat
t he
r esume
c annot,
i s
t o
e xplain
a ny
“ blips”
o n
t he
radar
s creen.
F or
i nstance,
i f
y ou
h ave
b een
c aring
f or
a
s ick
f amily
m ember,
i n
s chool,
o r
i f
y ou
a re
changing
c areers
y ou
c an
a ddress
t hese
l ife
o ccurrences
i n
a
f ew
s entences.
O n
a
r esume
t hose
p eriods
may
l ook
l ike
e mployment
g aps.
I f
y ou
a re
a
c areer
c hanger
y ou
c an
t alk
a bout
y our
t ransferable
s kills
more
c learly
t han
w ithin
y our
r esume.
I f
y ou
h ave
a
h ealth
i ssue
o r
l egal
i ssue,
s uch
a s
a
c rime
conviction
t hat
m ay
s how
u p
o n
a n
a pplication,
y ou
c an
a ddress
a ny
i ssues
y ou
m ay
f oresee.
I f
y ou
acknowledge
t hat
y ou
h ave
b een
c onvicted
o f
a
c rime,
e xplain
i t.
F or
e xample:
“ When
I
w as
a
f reshman
in
c ollege,
I
h ad
a
c onviction
f or
a
D UI
a nd
a n
a rrest
f or
d isorderly
c onduct.
T his
y outhful
l apse
i n
judgment
h as
n ot,
a nd
w ill
n ot
r epeat
i tself”.
F or
a
h ealth
i ssue
y ou
m ight
s ay:
“ I
t ook
a
y ear
o ff
f rom
work
t o
r ecover
f rom
e xtensive
s urgery,
a nd
n ow
h ave
a
c omplete
d octor’s
r elease
t o
r esume
w ork
w ith
no
r emaining
h ealth
i ssues.”
If
y ou
t ook
t ime
o ff
t o
r aise
c hildren
o r
c are
f or
a
s ick
f amily
m ember
y ou
p robably
g ained
i mportant
transferrable
s kills.
T hink
t hrough
a ll
t hat
y ou’ve
d one
a nd
s ee
i f
y ou
c an
a pply
t hem
t o
a
j ob
requirement.
T his
i s
a lso
t rue
o f
v olunteer
w ork
y ou
m ay
h ave
d one.
W hile
r esearching
y our
prospective
e mployer,
f ind
o ut
i f
t he
c ompany
r outinely
v olunteers
f or
s pecific
c auses.
I f
y ou
h ave
volunteered
f or
t he
s ame
n on
p rofits
o r
f or
s imilar
c auses
b y
a ll
m eans
i nclude
i t,
i f
n ot
i n
t he
c over
letter
m ake
s ure
i t
s hows
u p
o n
t he
r esume.
5