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Writing the Perfect Cover Letter: Tips From Your Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston Staffing Agency

Houston Staffing Agency

For one reason or another, the cover letter is a much more enigmatic document than the resume. Many people go through a considerable portion of their careers without ever writing a cover letter, let alone understanding their purpose. Your Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston staffing agency is here to provide the essentials for writing a cover letter that will help you stand out.

Build Upon Your Resume

Your cover letter is not simply a recap of what is listed on your resume, rather an opportunity to specify your previous experience in ways that would simply not fit on your resume. For example, if you listed a project manager position with some responsibilities in your resume, then your cover letter is an opportunity to specifically highlight how your skill set grew, the size of the team you managed and details about how you met your responsibilities in that role.

Specify Skills

If your resume is all about highlighting past work experience, education and volunteerism, then the cover letter is all about stating why your skill sets match the position for which you are applying. After you have determined what skill sets are required for the position, you should focus on aligning the skills and knowledge you possess with the responsibilities of the position. On the other side of that coin, do not apologize for the skills you do not have. Instead, provide information about transferable skills from your previous experience and how they will help you succeed at the position you are currently applying for.

Concision, Precision and Individualism

Your Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston staffing agency suggests that your cover letter does not exceed more than a page in length. Cover letters that are too lengthy run the risk of not being read at all. Avoid rambling about things that do not pertain to the position or the necessary skill set required. One page is not a lot of real estate, so be conscientious about not repeating yourself, including keywords that are associated with the position, and not using the limited space provided for general phrases and euphemisms. This is your cover letter, and it should be unique and specific to you.

Which brings us to our final point. Your cover letter provides you with an opportunity to show potential employers who you are as a person and what makes you stand out among other applicants. Take full advantage of this by not being overly formal and appealing specifically to the hiring manager for that position. That being said, your cover letter should not be a cookie cutter document and should change for each new position that you apply for.

If you are in the market for a new job, contact the dedicated team at Staff Force, your Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston staffing agency, and find out how we can help you. Click here to search jobs and apply online.

 

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