You believe that your resume is top notch. You practice your interviewing skills. You have the experience. You can even dress the part. So why aren’t you getting calls from the resumes you’ve submitted? Have you considered your cover letter? This introduction may be the most important thing between your resume and the next step in the process. Here are a few things to consider.

The Opening Line.

You need a hook. The first thing a potential employer is going to read will be the first sentence of your cover letter or accompanying email. Make it count. Never start with “my name is,” or some other common introduction. Start with something that tells them exactly what you do and why they should care.

Differentiating Yourself from Competition.

The next thing you want to do is to describe what makes you different from your competitors. What you don’t want to do is talk poorly about another person or category of person, so use examples of your accomplishments to demonstrate this.

Generating Interest.

Next, you want to explain why you fit their specific need. Take the job posting and reword your experience using their language. This will connect to the reader in such a way that they will be interested in contacting you to learn more.

Providing Contact Information.

Lastly you want to ensure that your contact information is provided in the heart of your cover letter. Don’t assume they’ll open your resume and see you phone number. And don’t leave it up to your signature line to convey the information. Include your phone number and email address in the final paragraph.

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