Cover And Thank You Letter Samples Page 7
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21Unemployed? Make Your Cover Letter Work for You!
Tips from the experts on how to write a good cover letter if you have been unemployed or
underemployed for a long period of time.
Keep It Positive
•
Job candidates should only provide information that creates value to an employer and makes a
compelling case for an interview.
•
Emphasize your strongest qualifications. Highlight what you can contribute and how this
contribution will benefit the employer. Bring out your skills, abilities, education, and experience
that will enable you to provide exemplary work for this company.
•
Do not add extraneous information about your unemployment.
Fill the Gaps
• Large gaps of unemployment should be addressed with the productive activities you were
engaged in while you were not working.
• If you have been idle, now is the time to take action! Some suggestions: upgrade your skills
by taking useful classes, secure freelance or part-time work, volunteer for a charitable
organization or your child’s school, or become active in a professional organization. By doing
these activities you keep your current skills fresh, develop new skills, and offer evidence to an
employer that you put your unemployed time to good use.
Be Creative, But Honest
• Because unemployment rates have been high in recent years, employment gaps no longer
carry the stigma they once did. It is not necessary to explain a few months of unemployment
due to something beyond your control, such as a layoff or a business closure.
• It is, however, beneficial to account for a large gap in employment. It’s there in your resume
and you should explain it. In your cover letter, you can add a line such as “Returning to part-
or full-time employment after being a stay-at-home mom [or caring for an ill family member, or
completing an intensive course in bookkeeping, etc]. I am now ready to contribute my 8 years
experience in _____ to benefit your company.” Or, “Since leaving my last job I have been
using my skills to contribute to a charitable organization while seeking a full-time position with
a reputable company such as yours.”
• Consider how your time off has made you a more valuable employee. If you freelanced, what
did it teach you about the value of retaining customers/clients? Did it inspire you to move to a
new industry or career? If you had a medical challenge, did you use your time between
treatments to further your education or training?
• Do not provide too much information on unemployment. Do focus on what you can contribute
to their company and how it will benefit them.
The following 2 cover letters incorporate some of these suggestions.
Cover & Thank You Letters
11/13
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