The first step of a great cover letter is to catch your reader's attention. This is done with the overall professional look of the letter: the font is large and easy to read; it has a good format and layout that is pleasing to the eye; it has no misspellings; and if the letter is going by traditional mail, you get attention through the use of high quality stationery and matching envelopes. Matching stationery, used for the cover letter and resume, will give an impression of harmony and cohesion. When your message is constructed with precise attention to detail and accessibility to the reader, it represents the kind of professional that may be able to add something of value to their company.

How To Structure A Cover Letter

The second step is to create interest with the content of the letter. The first opportunity to create interest is by addressing the letter to someone by name. The first 2 or 3 sentences of your letter should be designed to catch attention, and the remainder of the paragraph presents your candidacy. It is very important to present yourself with conviction.

Use Google or other search engines to do some research on the company that you are applying to, including articles about them, and visiting the company Web site. This information can be used as an introduction in your letter. For example:

"I ran across the enclosed article in Time Magazine and thought that it may be of interest to you. This article pushed me to do a bit of research on your company. Now, I am certain about two things: You are the type of organization that I want to be affiliated with, and I have the type of skill set that your company could use."

You will find large amounts of information on a company's Web site, including news articles and press clips. You can also use search engines to learn interesting facts about the company by using the company name as a keyword. Once you have found an appropriate article, you can use it in the following ways:

* In a traditional letter, enclose a copy of the article with your cover letter and resume.
* In an e-mail, add the article as an attachment.

As you may have already guessed, not every company that you contact for a job will have been mentioned in an article in Time Magazine. Even if there is no mention of the company in the press, it is likely that the research that you do on the company's Web site or on a search engine will give you some observation that can be used for your advantage.

Now that your letter has struck a chord with the reader, you want to transform the reader's interest into a need to learn more about you. To do this, you will want to link yourself with a particular work area of job category. You should use phrases like:

"I am contacting you because..." or "My reason for writing you..."

"I would like to talk with you about your needs relating to staffing for________and how I may be able advance the goals of your department."

"If you are hiring for someone in this area, you will find that my resume illustrates that I am a person of extreme dedication, drive, and efficiency."

Next, you should call attention to your assets with a short paragraph that highlights a couple of your achievement or contributions:

"I have a chemistry background from Washington University and a strong, detail-oriented, scientific approach to all of my research challenges. This combination has enabled me to easily be familiarized with and master the new technologies associated with the equipment utilized in the chemical and research industries."

Comparable statements related to your area of expertise will add a personal punch to your letter. You will want to include any attributes, contributions, or characteristics that prove that you are a person with a great deal of professional drive and talent to offer. If a telephone conversation or advertisement uncovers a job opening that is not discussed in your resume, your cover letter can be used to fill in any gaps. Here's an example:

" I noticed from the advertisement for the position that having experience in training and presentations is a plus. In addition to the skills that are listed in my resume, I have more than four years of experience in customer site training seminars and presentations."

It is through this third segment of your cover letter that you want to excite the reader about having you as a candidate for the job opening, and make the reader want to learn more about you.

The fourth step of your cover letter is to, hopefully, transform the need to know more about you into action. The action that you are hoping for is that the reader will next carefully read your resume, and then contact you to schedule an interview. This is achieved with briefness, and always leaving the reader wanting more. Providing too much information can be a negative, and may get you ruled out of consideration. You want to give the reader a taste, and leave him or her wondering about some things.

Make it obvious to the reader that you would like an opportunity to talk. Make sure to include your contact information, as well as how, when, and where you can be reached. You can also show your enthusiasm by informing the reader that you will be following up at a certain time if you have not been contacted. In the same way that you worked to craft a strong opening to your letter, it is important that your closing relays the same level of conviction. This is the last personal impression that the reader will have of you, so make it powerful, and make it very clear that you are serious about wanting to speak with him or her.

Here are a few useful phrases:

"It would be a pleasure for me to provide you with further information about my experience and qualifications..."

"I hope to speak more with you and will be calling on the week of ______ to follow up."

"I look forward to speaking with you in person, and will call in the next couple of days to see when our schedules will allow for a face-to-face meeting"

Many people feel it is compelling to state a date, or a date and time when you will be following up on you letter, within the closing. ("I'll call you on Wednesday if we don't touch base before then"). The purpose of this is that you are able to establish that you are organized, serious, and plan out your time efficiently (all are desirable traits). Make sure that if you write that you are going to follow up on a specific day, or a specific day and time, that you do that. It will not show favorably for you to make a promise and not follow through.

James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media, LLC. He currently writes articles relating to how to tips, what is information, why is information, and best information articles for http://employmentgenius.com/