Cover letters sell - resumes back 'em up

© Copyright Roy Miller, All Rights Reserved.

A resume is a commercial for You, Inc. By necessity, though, it's a more general tool.

You'll almost certainly be sending out more than one resume. It's a good idea to target your resume to particular opportunities, but the real place - the most effective place - to do that is in your cover letter. The bottom line is that good cover letters get read, and solid resumes just back them up.

You have to have a killer cover letter. Period. It's your chance to laser focus your sales pitch on the single human being who will determine whether you're hired or not.

Think of it this way.

Your resume lists what you've done, in compelling terms.

Your cover letter highlights specific accomplishments that the person the cover letter is addressed to really cares about. Nothing, and I mean nothing sells like a personal letter that demonstrates beyond any doubt that you're right for the job.