Cover Letter Do's and Don'ts

How Cover Letters Are Used

Employers will quickly scan – by hand or via computer –resumes into three piles. The first pile includes resumes that seem to match the job requirements well; the second pile is those that lack any important qualification matches; the third pile is the “maybe” pile. If your resume ends up in the maybe pile, a prospective employer will read your cover letter carefully. A well-written cover letter can help persuade an employer to invite you in for an interview. And don’t forget, that’s the sole purpose of a cover letter and a resume, to get past the first step in the screening process, so that you can be interviewed for a job.

Cover Letter Do’s

Do write a cover letter for each and every resume that you submit, including those that you submit online. To fit the space provided by some employers, your online cover letter may have to be quite short, but do still include one.
As a cover letter is always viewed as a writing sample, use complete sentences, vary the type of sentences that you use, and keep your paragraphs short. Make sure that your grammar is perfect.
Do use proper business letter format; the appropriate salutation is “Dear Mr. or Ms. So-and-So”, followed by a colon (:); a correct close is e.g., “Sincerely” or “Very truly yours”, followed by a comma, your full name and telephone number. Always take the time to find the name and correct spelling of a specific person to whom to send your correspondence.
Keep your cover letter short, clear and error-free. Spellcheck is not enough. Proofread, proofread, proofread, and then have someone else proofread it as well.
Whenever possible, do send a hard copy of your cover letter and resume, even if you’ve already sent them via e-mail. Your cover letter and resume should “match” – i.e., use the same font and paper stock for both.
Be sure to include the following information in a cover letter:

How you heard about the job or why you’re writing – e.g., “So-and-so suggested that I contact you”; or “I’m applying to X position which was listed on your website.”
A sentence or two connecting what you know about the job or company to your skills, background and experience. Think of this section as taking a yellow highlighter to your resume, and zeroing in on the most relevant sections. Emphasize what you can do for the employer, not what the job or employer can do for you.
A closing. End with a request for the next step – either that you will call the employer in a week to follow up or that you look forward to hearing from them soon.

Source:http://milton.patch.com/articles/cover-letter-do-s-and-don-ts