Writing an efficient cover letter is incredibly essential. Primarily your cover letter should explain why you are sending in your resume. You need to be consistently precise. You should not keep your prospective employer guessing or wondering about anything. If you want an internship, a full time position, a job after you graduate or if you are looking for a long term job track – you need to say so and include everything. You must also indicate how you learned about the job opening. A vital but often overlooked piece of information is that, if a person told you about the job, you should include his or her name.
The most important function of the cover letter is to convince your employer to read your resume. Your cover letter will make your first impression; it will be noticed before anything else. You need to keep your employer interested enough to want to know more about you. You should include information that makes you look good, like your background, your leadership capabilities, your education and any experience you have pertinent to the job for which you are applying. It should be a reflection of your attitude, your personality, your enthusiasm, your motivation and your technical skills as a job candidate.
Finally, include follow up information. This often entails attentiveness to the job advertisement. For example, if it states no calls, then absolutely do not call. Otherwise, indicate your phone number and suggest that you will call within a set time frame to see if any additional information is needed. This will demonstrate your initiative without being pushy. Always remember you need to make a good cover letter because you are presenting yourself it.
