Importance of Cover Letter

In applying for jobs, you may think that the employer is interested in reading your CV only as it details the qualifications and working experience you have. Why bother to prepare the cover letter?

Introduction

The cover letter is an introduction of you to the potential employer.  Think of it as a greeting to the employer before you tell them some hard facts -- your qualifications and working experience.

Personal Qualities

In the CV, you state your academic and professional qualifications, working experience, special skills and interests. The cover letter provides a more suitable area for you to tell the employer your personal qualities. Instead of putting a few adjectives in the CV, you may write a few sentences in the cover telling them your personality traits which match the job requirements.

Writing Skills

Cover letter is different in style from a CV. You have to write in sentences and paragraphs instead of bullet points. So you have to mind your grammar. If you can present a well-written cover letter, you have a chance to demonstrate your writing skills which is an important quality required in any jobs nowadays.

Important Info

The cover letter lets you highlight the most important information to the employer – your contact information. Even if you have already included this in the CV, you can reiterate in the cover letter.

Requirement

In some job ads, you find that employers ask you to send both the CV and cover letter. In this case, remember to send the cover letter as well. Even if it is not stated clearly in the job ad, sending both the CV and the cover letter would not do any harm to your job application.

Written by: Anita Cheng

29 January 2013

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