Cover Letter Resource Packet Page 5

ADVERTISEMENT

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  
 

ADVERTISEMENT

00 votes

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories

Parent category: Letters