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A lot of people spend hours and hours checking and rechecking their resume. They include every aspect and details of their qualifications such as their skills, work experience and educational attainment to show their (hopefully) future employer that they are indeed the perfect and the best person for the job.

This is all good. Your resume can do a lot for you. But, some people have been so overly focused on their resume that they tend to neglect their cover letter. Your cover letter is an essential aspect of your application that is equal in importance to your resume. There are even times when the screeners would base their decisions on the cover letter alone.

This is because your cover letter is your very first chance to provide an impression. This is what most employers read first and judge your personality. A lot about you can be said through your cover letter. This will be your chance to convince the reader to move on to your resume.

To make sure that your cover letter gives a good synopsis about you, it should include a presentation of all your abilities and qualifications that would imply that you are the right person for the position. You must make sure that you present your cover letter in a very professional manner that depicts your seriousness and willingness to take the job.

Also, think about your cover letter as your marketing material, and what you are selling is yourself. It serves as an introductory material which will show off your good points. This should make the reader want more and capture his or her interest immediately. Like a good marketing strategy, your cover letter should grab attention and be very noticeable. This would then lead the hiring manager to read on more about you, and perhaps, know more about you by calling you for an interview.

To start off, your cover letter should be addressed to the appropriate person. This will show that you have done your research and took the effort to learn about such matters. This will also make your letter more personal and not just a template which could have been sent to other companies.

Explain why you want the job and why you think the job is right for you. You should paint a precise picture wherein the job was made especially for you and that no one else would be able to do it just right. Just avoid over exaggerating and telling lies. A lot of companies verify what you have written in your cover letter and if they find out that you are lying, you will definitely create a bad impression.

Detail out your strengths, but make sure to include only those that can be applied to the position that you are going after. You don*t want to mention you*re a crossword champion when you*re applying for a secretarial job, this may mean that you spend all your time just doing crosswords.

Never forget to include all your contact details and mention the times when you will be free for an interview. This will show that you are very positive and a take charge kind of guy. Also, make sure that you spend ample time to check and recheck your cover letter; an error-free cover letter connotes professionalism.