A cover letter for a resume is an example of a manager. What to write in a cover letter for a resume - How to write a letter correctly - examples of cover letters. Extended cover letter form

In Western countries, where the free labor market is much older than the Russian one, it is not accepted to send an employer a resume without a cover letter: it is considered impolite. In Russia, the tradition of job search is still developing, so the attitude towards cover letters is different.

Do I need to spend time and energy on a cover letter? And if so, how exactly is it composed? To be able to create for yourself competitive advantage, read the tips.

To write or not to write? That is the question…
To write or not to write a cover letter, sending a resume for a vacancy of interest? Almost all applicants ask this question every day. More than half of them (54%), according to the Site Research Center, decide for themselves that cover letters are a waste of time, because all the important information is contained in the resume. On the other hand, about a third of Russians (31%) are confident that what is written correctly significantly increases the chances of success. Whose point of view is correct?

This controversy in absentia is one of those in which both sides are right in their own way. According to the site, most employers (91%) consider all resumes, regardless of the presence of a cover letter, 8% work only with those resumes that have at least a formal cover letter, and only 1% do not consider a resume without cover letters at all.

Why don't Russian recruiters, unlike their Western colleagues, attach importance to cover letters? The reason is the insufficiently high level of these documents. According to recruiting managers, most job seekers do not know how to write cover letters correctly, so often an illogical message with many mistakes is simply not taken into account. " Transmittal letter not so important, since very few applicants know how to write them, ”- explain the recruiters we interviewed.

But against this background, it is easy to get extra glasses! If your cover letter is written logically, correctly and contains information that is important for the employer, do not doubt that this will be a significant plus! You just need to learn how to write this document, and the path to your dream job may become shorter.

Cover letter structure
Let's start with the main thing. Why are we writing a cover letter? The purpose of this document is to draw attention to your resume, get the recruiter to read it carefully and become interested in your candidacy.

At the same time, the wording should fit into the framework of generally accepted ideas about business correspondence. Creativity and humor are only acceptable if you have no doubt about the appropriateness and quality of your ideas and jokes. However, there is one caveat. If you are applying for a position in creative team, then deviations from the business style are quite appropriate. You may well interest the employer with a non-standard (but interesting and competent) cover letter.

What should be reported in the cover letter? Experts point out several points that should be adhered to.

Very important correct address to the addressee... As a rule, in the vacancies posted on the site, there is information about the contact person - the HR manager who directly supervises the vacancy. It is best to address your cover letter to him. "Good day, Elena!"; "Dear Igor Anatolyevich!" - the usual wording is fine. If a specific employee is not specified, you can use the standard "courtesy formulas": "Dear ladies and gentlemen!" Experts warn against informal addresses that are not typical of the business style of writing, for example, "Good day, employees of LLC" *** "!" etc.

It is also customary to indicate in the cover letter source of information about the vacancy: "On the page of your company in social network it is reported that you need a sales manager ”; "From your employee, IT specialist Sergey Sergeev, I learned that you have a vacancy for a 1C programmer." However, if you send your resume through a recruiting portal, this is not necessary - the recruiter already knows where you got the information.

Now let's get to the point. In a few sentences (short and clear) you need to state, who you are and why do you want to work in this particular company... At the same time, you do not need to retell your resume - it is only important to emphasize the most important thing - what sets you apart from other candidates. As a rule, these are work experience and professional achievements. For example: “My experience in the PR-sphere is 4 years. At my current place of work, I was able to double the number of publications about the company in the media within the same budget. Your work attracts me with the scale of the tasks set and the opportunity to work in a creative team. " Interested in your qualities, the recruiter will open and carefully examine your CV.

Experts warn against writing about your career ambitions in your cover letter. This can scare off a recruiter, because at the moment he needs to close a specific position, and not replenish personnel reserve top managers by your candidacy. So the phrase: “Working in your company attracts me with the opportunity for career growth” - it is better to delete it.

There is no need to focus on questionable places in your resume, if any. For example, to explain why you have not worked for six months, it is better at an interview, with personal contact. A cover letter is not a confession or a detailed autobiography, but only a short business self-presentation.

Avoid platitudes. “I am easy to learn, sociable and stress-resistant” - this is stated in many resumes and cover letters, so many recruiters do not pay attention to such template phrases.

At the end of the letter, do not forget to add that if you are interested in your candidacy, you are ready to come for an interview and answer all your remaining questions. In addition, it is necessary subscribe and indicate your contacts... Of course, this data is in the resume, but these are the rules of business etiquette.

"Working in your company attracts me ..."
So what should a good cover letter look like? For example, a candidate for a sales manager position might draft it like this:

“Good afternoon, Ekaterina!

From the "Career" section on your company's website, I learned about an open vacancy for a sales manager.

Perhaps you will be interested in my experience in this area: for five years I have been in sales software in company "***". Among my personal achievements are large supply contracts software products with a number of state corporations, increasing the company's sales by 40% annually.

Working in your company attracts me with the opportunity to apply my experience and knowledge on a scale of more big business... If my resume (see attachment) interests you, I will be happy to answer your questions at the interview.

Best regards, Ivan Ivanov,
Tel. +7 (910) *** - ** - ** ".

Finishing touches
Before sending a written letter and resume to the addressee, soberly assess its volume. A simple rule should be followed: brevity is the sister of talent. 2-3 small paragraphs - this will be enough to interest the recruiter, but not tire him.

Finally, don't forget check your creation for literacy... Spelling and punctuation mistakes can nullify all your writing, especially if the position you are applying for implies a high level of general development. So use dictionaries, reference books and the capabilities of computer text editors.

And about the formalities. If you are sending your resume by email, then the cover letter should be in the "body" of your message. If by fax - on a separate page, which must be sent first, before the resume. On recruiting portals for a cover letter, as a rule, a special window is provided.

Good luck and inspiration!

Do you know what makes text that delivers results different from just good text? The system. And it is precisely the ability to build systems that a copywriter differs from other people who just know how to write. Too abstract? Let's be specific.

Imagine that you have a resume (we examined how to write it in detail) or a commercial proposal (a detailed development workshop). And now, you are ready to send it to a recruiter or potential client. But the thought that something is missing does not leave you. You also need to write a cover letter, at least in a couple of lines of text, in order to familiarize yourself with the attached document.

It would seem that it is a very simple and short text, but many fall into a stupor with it. Or they make annoying mistakes, because of which the resume or KP fails. It's a shame.

To solve the problem, you must understand that the cover letter and the attached document are parts of the same system. And each part must clearly fulfill its functions. No more, no less.

Functions of the cover letter and attached document

Transmittal letter Is, in fact, a selling text that sells a document (resume or commercial proposal). Sells not for money, but for the attention of the person on the other side of the monitor.

In turn, the document itself encourages a person to move to the next stage of interaction: interview, negotiations, trial order, etc. As a result, we have a simple sequence.

If even one of the elements fails, then the whole system suffers. This must be understood. Not interested in the cover letter - either do not look at the document, or look superficially. If you are not interested (or did not look) the document itself, there will be no next stage.

Many people make a mistake. They make a cool CP or resume, but don't attach importance to the cover letter. As a result, the document flies into the trash can and spreads the misconception that business proposals or resumes do not work.

How to write a cover letter: key points with examples

In 95% of cases, a cover letter is sent by Email. Therefore, we will focus on this particular media channel. If you use regular mail or fax, then many of these recommendations are also relevant, but require some adjustment. I will also talk about it below.

The first thing that you must convey to the person is the reason why he should generally open your letter and read the document attached to it. In other words, you must answer the main question: “Why?”.

1. Email subject

It all starts with a theme. And here more than half of the people make gross mistakes. Paradoxically, most mistakes are made by inexperienced copywriters. trying to use original headers in the subject line, which are completely unnecessary here.

The topic should be as specific as possible and convey the essence so that the recipient at the stage of viewing the mail immediately understands whether he is worth wasting time or not. Remember that your letter is far from the only one, especially if it accompanies your resume.

Examples of bad email subjects

For a summary:

Vacancy(there may be a lot of vacancies, it is not clear which of them the response is ... and is there any response at all?)

You won't find such an employee anymore!(not a single useful word; there are many such topics)

Congratulations! You have found your best programmer!(too impudent; however, they can call out purely out of curiosity, but in most cases the letter is not even read)

(no subject)

For commercial offers:

Commercial offer(the topic is too hackneyed and abstract)

Rolled metal products with a 50% discount !!!(a clear sign of spam with all that it implies, although the title may be of interest)

Have you ever received such an offer?(the topic can be of interest only if a person has nothing to do; in the B2B segment, it is most often left unattended)

We propose to consider the possibility of purchasing refrigeration equipment from us at special prices only until August 1 (too long and intrusive topic - in spam!)

Ideally, the subject line of the letter should consist of 1-5 words, while conveying the essence of your message as concretely as possible. No show off. Remember that on the other side of the monitor there is also a living person who does not like spam and is tired of raking mail. Make it easy for him and he will thank you.

Examples of good email subjects

For a summary:

The first topic is used for “cold” response, i.e. when you have not yet communicated with either HR or any other company representative. The second topic is used after a preliminary conversation, for example, by phone, when you have agreed to send a resume, and the person is waiting for it.

The main advantage of such a topic is that a person already knows what is inside, and can easily find your letter in the flow of correspondence (if necessary later). But, most importantly, the person will be simply grateful to you for saving his time and providing the necessary information. As simple and affordable as possible. Where there is gratitude, there is location. And where the location is - there is a choice in your favor.

For commercial offers:

One needs to be clarified here important point... Unlike a cover letter for a resume, for commercial proposals the range of topics is much wider and depends on the type of commercial proposal: “” or “”.

In the case of the "cold" type of CP, you have de facto regular spam, and the headers can be any. The main thing is that they attract the attention of the recipient and make him open and read the letter.

In the case of a “hot” commercial offer, you don't have to show off, because information is already waiting, and you can simply and specifically write what is inside the letter.

I've been experimenting a lot with cold CPs lately, and I've noticed that even with mass mailing, simple and specific headlines work better, which clearly indicate the topic of the conversation, but do not reveal the details. So the recipient understands that the topic concerns him and opens the letter, where he receives more detailed information.

Eh ... Do you remember when there was no Internet and ordinary letters were used? Still, there was some kind of romance in them. Yes, and it could be stored. For memories. Still, whatever one may say, at emails the value is much less.

2. Text of the letter

The cover letter doesn't have to be big. As a rule, a volume of up to 500-700 characters is more than enough to convey the essence and translate the reader to the main document.

Remember: that the more you make life easier for a person, the easier it is to convey information to him (useful information, of course), the more he is disposed towards you. And where the location is - there is a choice in your favor.

Cover letter text for resume

So, the task: to arouse a person's interest in our resume, so that he thoughtfully and carefully read it. To do this, we remember the first rule: we throw out all the dregs that are written on the Internet as a sample. Like this:

Bad example! Do not repeat!

Hello!

I looked at the vacancy of a sales manager in your company, and it interested me. I am convinced that my knowledge, experience and high professional qualities, coupled with dedication, communication skills, stress resistance and focus on results will be a good help in the development of your company and will lead it to a new stage of development in the future.

For a more detailed acquaintance with my candidacy, please consider my resume, which is attached.

Blah blah blah. A bunch of text, and nothing to the point. And this is all too often. Each applicant (for the position of a copywriter, for some reason, especially) thinks that he is unique, creative and inimitable. But the harsh truth of life is that such a letter occurs in every second case. And when there are dozens of such letters, an eyebrow begins to twitch, willy-nilly.

To write a good cover letter for your resume, keep the main task in mind: explaining to the person as simply and easily as possible why you are suitable for vacant post and, most importantly, why a person should delve into your resume. In such cases, you can make a bunch of letter and resume. See how this is done with an example.

Example of the correct cover text for a resume

Vacancy application (commercial director) - Ivanov I.I.

Good afternoon!

I would like to interview for a commercial director vacancy in your company. In my previous job, I held a similar position and solved the required tasks. Plus, I built an autonomous sales department of 40 people, increasing its efficiency by 178%.

All the details are in the resume attached.

Please use the main phone number for communication: +7 (XXX) XXX-XX-XX

Have a great day!

Pay attention to a few simple tricks that were used in the body of the letter.

We immediately declare our interim intent to be interviewed rather than getting a job. There is a double bottom here: on the one hand, agreeing to an interview is easier than agreeing to give a job. And secondly, the person at the other end sees that you have a professional approach, and not only he chooses you, but you also choose from several companies.
You explain right away why you are suitable for the position and back up your words with facts.
We do the seeding and linking to the resume. A person becomes interested in what kind of specialist you are, where you worked and what you can. It's like finding a treasure map and wanting to explore it.
Although the cover letter is relatively small, it is written in.

You get the idea. Let's summarize what shouldn't be in a cover letter.

Abstract narcissism(I am the crown of sociability and efficiency).
Boulevard flirting(Why am I right? I will answer you! I am The Best!).
Information not relevant to the case(It all started back in school. I was wearing brushed pants and a stupid sweater back then).
Excessive originality(Master of sales will conquer your soul!)
Familiarity(Hi! I heard you have a cool vacancy, letting my sidekick adjust).
Of luscious bragging(I will take your company to the next level and cut the throat of anyone who gets in my way!).
Compromising Email Addresses ([email protected])

Cover letter text for a business proposal

In the case of cover letters for commercial offers, you have more degrees of freedom. The point is that there are at least four options here.

Option number 1: "hot" commercial proposal (or other documents)

In this option, documents are expected from you by prior arrangement. Therefore, the letter is simple and typical. I would even say technical.

Example:

Commercial offer and agreement protocol

Good day,% name%

I am sending a commercial offer and a protocol of price agreement, as agreed.

Have a great day!

Nothing else is needed here, tk. information from the application is expected from you by default. The only exception is if you need the recipient to pay attention to certain points. Then you also write them down in the letter. For example, remind you that there are only 2 days left until the end of the promotion with a 50% discount.

Option number 2: "cold" CP without a letter

This is a type of spam. Its essence is that instead of a cover letter, you use the text of a commercial proposal and send it en masse according to the target list. Ideally, with personalization.

This approach does not always work, but I have several cases in which it fully justified itself and showed a higher result than in other options, which you will read about below.

The main advantage of this approach is that the person does not need to download or open the attached file. All information is conveyed directly in the letter and reduces the number of unnecessary clicks. Fewer clicks - higher conversion. But not always, and this must be remembered.

Option number 3: cover letter without attachment

In this approach, you send only a short letter, without the attached CP. The essence of this approach is to generate interest and provoke a response. And only then send a compred. See how this is implemented with an example.

Printed products

Good day,% name%

My name is Ivan Ivanov, I am the commercial director of the Superprint company, and I want to completely cover your need for printed products.

My offer includes a 30% reduction in your costs, a bonus print run and delivery from the printer within 24 hours, even on weekends.

Call me on +7 (XXX) XXX-XX-XX to discuss the details or answer this letter within 3 working days to receive a commercial offer.

Have a great day!

Please note: we introduce ourselves, briefly convey the essence and close the person to two options for further actions. No flirting. No show off. No copywriting tricks. This approach is good to use when you need to test the interest of potential customers in your products and / or services.

Option # 4: Cover Letter + Cold Compred

Classic bundle, compromise option. It is imperative to test, because sometimes it has the opposite effect: "Not only do they send spam, but also with an attachment - unheard of insolence!"

For the rest, the general ideological direction remains:

Introducing ourselves
We convey the essence, answering the question "Why?"
We are interested in a profitable offer
We translate into an attached file

See how it looks like in an example.

Rolled metal supplies

Good day,% name%

My name is Ivan Ivanov, I am the commercial director of the SuperMetalloprokat company, and I want to become an exclusive supplier of rolled metal products for your company.

My proposal includes a reduction in your costs up to 30%, delivery of a batch of up to 200 tons within 24 hours to anywhere in Moscow and the Moscow region, as well as several other bonuses. To make it more convenient for you, I have outlined the essence in the attached file.

To discuss the details, call me at +7 (XXX) XXX-XX-XX.

Have a great day!

Pay attention to the word "exclusive". It uses the principle of contrast and provocation. Those. a raised bar is deliberately set so that there are more maneuvers during negotiations. I will describe this technique in detail in a future article.

A very important exception

Old school people perceive letters on paper and in "their" language better.

There are times when the simple approach doesn't work. Simply because there is an audience that is not used to perceiving information that way. As a rule, these are people of the old school (men 50+). Such people have seen a lot and are used to two things:

Feel the information in your hands. In other words, they need to submit information on paper. Even better - in the form of an incoming letter to the organization (especially important for state-owned companies).
Perceive in your own language. Those. they need to express everything in clerical, flowery, official business language.

See an example of such a cover letter. Remember that it is on paper with appropriate caps.

Dear Ivan Ivanovich!

We ask you to consider the possibility of including in the tender application of rolled metal produced by Supermetalloprokat LLC as a certified building material for your production lines.

We would like to inform you that in the case of a tender and purchase of rolled metal produced by Supermetalloprokat LLC through the appropriate procedures, the savings on purchases for your company will amount to more than 2 million rubles, while maintaining the required level of product quality presented by GOST.

We ask you to respond within 7 working days from the date of receipt of this letter.

Sample cover letter

Finally, a few words about samples. Especially about those that are in the public domain. I have already spoken about this and will repeat myself: there are no universal models. Your situation is unique, and solve the problem based on the data that you have.

Modern employers are increasingly demanding a cover letter for a resume from the applicant, usually containing 2-3 paragraphs. In this material, we will analyze in detail how to draw up such a document.

You will learn:

Do I need to write a cover letter for the resume.
What are the benefits of a good resume cover letter?
How to design and send a cover letter for a resume.
How to write an English resume cover letter.
What you don't need to write in your resume cover letter.
How does a resume cover letter affect an HR decision.

What information does a cover letter for a resume contain?

Documentary support of a resume or a recall for a vacancy refers to additional information and is submitted by a potential candidate for the position in addition to the standard documentation of his education and work experience presented in the resume. Most often, the employer looks at such information even before getting acquainted with the resume.

First of all, a short resume cover letter is a useful addition to adjust the applicant's image. Its purpose is to present your skills and emphasize that you are the one who will benefit the company as an employee.

Downloads:

However, in practice, most applicants do not take the chance to win over their employer. Sometimes people are so doubtful about their capabilities that they cannot profitably present personal advantages, fearing to seem like a braggart or a deceiver. At the same time, about a third of Russians successfully practice this opportunity, hoping that a little accompaniment to their resume will increase their chances of achieving their goal. By the way, they are doing the right thing. Their judgment is fully justified, which is confirmed by the results of surveys of both novice recruiters and skilled headhunters.

First of all, HR specialists choose the most meaningful resume, where they can get the necessary information before meeting with the respondent. This allows them to pre-filter out inappropriate people to save valuable interview time.

From the general mass of applicants, personnel officers single out those who can present themselves. It is believed that people who can present their professionalism, are able to win over and convince others, can present a company with honor on the market. In addition, out of several thousand (over 600) interviewed personnel officers admitted that they do not consider a resume without a cover letter at all.

Benefits of a good resume cover letter

In addition to adhering to the high standards of business, which the applicant adheres to, supporting his own resume with an accompanying message, it will be useful for him to achieve several significant goals, such as:

demonstration of writing skills (the template structure of the resume does not allow, so to speak, to show off eloquence and the construction of beautiful phrases);
an emphasis on motivation (which is important for people who are changing their field of activity or are not very experienced in the chosen niche);
presentation of their advantages, which are especially useful for this organization (in the summary, information about this is contained in the general block along with skills and experience);
individualization of attitudes towards job search (the standard type of resume will allow you to send it to each company in an unchanged form, but the text of the cover letter to the resume will confirm your interest only in the desired organization);
showing your interest in the company, searching for information about it and the attractiveness of the data obtained.

No matter how flawless your resume is, the company is interested in a loyal and highly motivated employee who will work for the good of its promotion, as opposed to a simple specialist with qualifications. It is this fact that will allow you to emphasize the cover letter.

How to write a resume and create a positive employer image

How Resume Cover Letter Affects HR Decision

Patriotic HeadHunter company, which specializes in online recruitment, in a survey of employers found that 36% of them agree to cull the applicant's resume if his cover letter is not drawn up correctly.

There has been a persistent tendency when employees of the HR department are submitted only 20-40% of the resume with an attached cover letter. A quarter of interviewed recruiters engaged in recruiting personnel confirmed that a resume with an introductory message is quite rare. Cover letters for top positions are the most important: about 17% of enterprises do not at all familiarize themselves with the documents of applicants for the position of a top manager in the absence of the required file. However, for most other jobs, a resume cover letter is seen by HR managers as an added advantage.

Employers show interest in the reasons for choosing a company and the degree of motivation of a candidate to work in this particular vacant position (80%). More than half hope that the applicant's cover letter contains a clear statement of its usefulness to the organization (53%). Over 60% of HR personnel agreed that the optimal cover letter should consist of 3-5 phrases.

Most executives believe that the most appropriate style for a cover letter is business. At the same time, 15% of HR managers admit the use of a conversational manner of presentation, and 17% of this audience do not attribute the style to important factors... Approximately 29% of employers welcome the emotional phrases and emoticons that applicants include in their cover letters. Disadvantages noted by many recruiters include: grammatical errors (56%), formulaic phrases (53%), incompetence in business writing styles + familiarity (49%), verbosity (38%) and unclear thoughts (35%) ... Almost all HR professionals (91%) say that an illiterate resume cover letter is unacceptable.

Find out by the resume of the manager who will "explode" the company's sales

How to recognize candidates who will bring profit to the company by their resume? Use a method that allows you to recognize the character and qualities of a person by a short description, which was described by the editorial board of the magazine "Commercial Director".

Expert opinion

Andrey Kolesnikov,

general manager by PowerLexis, St. Petersburg

To get an employer interested, you need to compliment him.

To receive a call for an interview and to successfully pass it, the applicant needs to win the favor of the interlocutor. And the most effective way to do this is with a nice compliment. However, it needs to be thought over, made targeted, not standard. The employer you are seeking to apply for a job should make sure that you are familiar with the direction of his company, see interesting prospects here and are going to defend personal opinion. The recipient of your letter can easily distinguish real enthusiasm from a string of routine phrases, and therefore will undoubtedly be friendly to you.

One day we received a cover letter for a resume, where the applicant clearly wanted to win our favor. Here's what it said:

"Ladies and gentlemen! In the activities of your company, indisputable respect is responsible for the clients, high quality products and the degree of decision-making. I will be very happy to work in your team to increase the overall profit. " This person was not even invited for an interview, as his appeal could well have been addressed to any other company. Obviously, he sent this template to everyone. PowerLexis, by the way, does not produce goods at all, but provides services.

And here is an example of a letter confirming that the author has studied the history of the company well: “... I am interested in this vacancy due to the narrow specialization of the company. I am convinced that now, in a time of fierce competition, this is the most The best way gaining high market positions ... ”. We immediately highlighted this message and invited the applicant for an interview. Takeaway: If you know nothing about compliments, don't try to use them.

Basic requirements for how to write a cover letter for a resume

When writing your resume cover letter, follow these guidelines:

the maximum laconicism of the business style, it is inappropriate to “spread the thought along the tree” here (the optimal reading time is no more than 10 minutes, the volume of the letter should fit in the A5 format);
capacity: the information provided in the letter should be the most important for the employer, since the "water" that increases the volume reduces the candidate's "points";
style: information for business is clothed in a business style with a clear structure and understandable constructions that are not clogged with clauses of speech, with the exception of familiarity and excessive emotions (the latter are possible for organizations of a narrow direction, for example, creative ones, but they are rare on the market);
individual approach: an easy, lively style of presentation should be woven into the rules of office work, you need to write as if you are conducting a dialogue with a recruiter;
uniqueness: do not forget that your message should stand out from other similar letters, while your uniqueness should not go beyond the terms of the company;
relevance: do not use unnecessary information that your potential employer does not need;
specifics: any information becomes significant and reliable due to numerical values (numbers, terms, percentages, number of projects, etc.);
Recommendations: Most likely, at the interview you will be asked to submit them, but when you get ahead of the recruiter's desire, your resume will become more meaningful.

What to write in your resume cover letter

The address to the addressee is mandatory and must contain the name and patronymic cadre worker... Here you need to observe the utmost politeness and tact: “Good afternoon, Irina Petrovna! Please discuss my candidacy ... ".
A link to the original source of a vacancy announcement is a sign of good form, so it is better to tell the employer where you saw information about hiring specialists (message board, newspaper, website). In some cases, you can personally indicate the intermediary: "Petrov A.I, a long-time partner of your company, told me about the announced vacancy ...". In addition, the title of the vacant position should be mentioned here, adding that you have done similar work in another organization.
The main content of your resume cover letter. In this part, it is enough to identify the range of personal professional interests, and then offer services to the employer. You can add your brief description without using common hackneyed phrases. The best option would be to present your strong side, which will further benefit the common cause in your position.
Demonstration of the desire to work for the good of the company and grow professionally within its walls. This is an additional item that can be inserted into the main content if necessary.
Providing contact details and the promise of a quick response to the invitation for an interview. By entering a phone number in the cover letter to the resume, the applicant greatly simplifies the tasks of the HR specialist of the employing organization, because the personnel officer can immediately call him if the content of the message has caused favorable emotions in the management.
Gratitude. A high-quality application to the resume should end with one of the phrases: "Thank you for your attention (or your time)", "Thank you in advance for the phone call" and others.

You need to think about what the addressee wants to see accompanied by the resume in order to write this particular phrase. If an existing vacancy announcement mentioned extensive work experience, this should be the focus. In some cases, employers want to see an employee with similar qualifications in a certain position, without any exceptions. Therefore, listing other skills will be incorrect. This also applies to other requirements mentioned in recruitment advertisements.

How to design and send a cover letter for a resume

In accordance with the standard rules, a cover letter for a resume should be composed:

on a separate A5 sheet if you are submitting your resume on paper;
v in electronic format if documents are sent to the company's e-mail address;
the name and address of the recipient, his details, title, date - everything should be drawn up according to the rules of office work for official letters.

As a rule, a cover sheet is attached to the resume, which confirms its title. In this case, generally accepted formalities must be observed, namely:

when sent in hard copy, the accompanying letter is drawn up on a separate sheet of paper or on a special form;
at electronic form When sending, the accompanying text is entered in the message field, and the resume is attached as a separate file, while the subject of the message should be "Resume for vacancy ...".

There are other known ways to deliver a cover letter to an employer:

before submitting a resume (thereby "checking" the organization's mail is carried out, the ground is being prepared, the interest remains);
immediately after sending it (to clarify some details, an additional reminder about yourself, encouragement to invite you for an interview);
after the interview (often with the same chances of success, any additional action can persuade the employer to take your side, and this step can be a tactful and appropriate response to the vacancy).

How to write a resume cover letter without work experience

It is not difficult for a person with extensive professional skills to interest a potential employer. And for young specialist with a brand new diploma from a university or an employee who changes direction for the first time, this is not easy to do.

To motivate a recruiter to read your resume, it's important to spark their curiosity by writing a high-quality resume cover letter, a sample of which should include the following elements:

a respectful greeting (if you know the name of the recipient of your message, make the greeting addressable);
the source where you found the vacancy (newspaper, Internet resource, the person who recommended the vacancy);
a professional resource that you could offer the company. If you do not have work experience, you need to identify other advantages that distinguish you from competitors.

The advantages can be:

consent to a long probationary period;
willingness to learn and career growth in a given profession;
consent to irregular working hours and business trips;
specialized education and additional training courses;
knowledge of foreign languages;
other skills related to the upcoming activity.
1. contact information (it is appropriate to once again leave your personal contacts not only in the resume, but also in the accompanying message).
2. goodbye (short and courteous).

How to write an English resume cover letter

Today, finding a decent job with a high salary is becoming an urgent and intractable problem in our society. The state of the labor market requires from applicants not only well-formed skills of work in their specialty, sometimes employers make additional requirements. Among them, the most common is knowledge foreign languages... Practice proves that employers give such people the maximum preference for employment.

Very often, when filling existing vacancies, the management puts forward requirements for candidates for a position to write and provide a cover letter, which is translated from English as "cover letter". To find profitable job It is no longer enough to send the employer a simple resume. It needs to be backed up with the indicated addition.

Recall that the cover letter belongs to the category of business correspondence and is attached to the resume with other documents.

Introduction

To interest a potential employer with your letter, and as a result, your own candidacy, you should "hook" the employer from the first line, and more specifically - from the introduction. Therefore, we advise you to approach the writing of this part of the message with full responsibility.

If you have common acquaintances with a prospective employer, it is useful to mention this to arouse his sympathy and trust:

Recently I met Ann Brown, who I know from my childhood, from your main company and she recommended me to write to you my resume-letter. She knows about my talents in programming area and considers me a good candidate for a IT-specialist vacancy.

(The other day I met Ann Brown, whom I have known since childhood, and now an employee of your company, who advised me to send my resume here. She is familiar with my success in programming and is sure that I can quite count on a programmer's place in the company you lead).

Briefly and clearly state your achievements in the professional field, emphasizing the nuances that may be of interest to the employer. You need to write about those skills that will be useful in a potential position that the applicant wants to take.
You can start with the original question and then, in the process of writing a cover letter for your resume, gradually answer it, intriguing the employer to read the entire text.

How to arouse the employer's interest with a question

The "catchy" question formulated at the beginning of the cover letter, combined with its English version, can be formulated as follows:

Are you looking for an expert of the sales-market area who has sales records for a few different companies and a high developed professional talents?

(Do you need a professional salesperson who has broken all the records in this field in a number of companies at the same time, who has the highest skill?)

In the introduction, you do not need to waste time on a detailed description of the search for this vacancy and its interesting aspects for the applicant. Just mention its name in the subject line.

Main content

The second part of the cover letter explains why the candidate seeks to get into this particular organization in order to take the declared position. Without praise, you need to list the real advantages of this position and transparently hint between the lines at your professional talents as a potential employee. Additionally, it is not superfluous to show a positive attitude towards the company's products or professionals who work in this service sector. All information must be correct.

For an example of a cover letter in English, the following texts can be given:

"I would like to have a job in your company because ..." or "I would be happy to get a position in your company because ...".
"While I worked in other firm, I always want to be a part of this company ..."
"I am very interested in this vacancy, as ..." or "I am very interested in this vacancy, as ...".
“I see that your company is in a process of development and that you`re planning to lauch a few new projects. Will I become a part of them? " or “I noticed that your company is growing steadily and you are starting a number of new projects. Do I have a chance to take part in them? "

After that, a personal qualification is described with a full indication of work experience and professional qualities, so that the employer sees in the candidate a future employee of his company, who brings her benefit, profit and is interested in its growth. The wider the list of performance characteristics of the applicant for the vacancy, the higher his chance to make a proper impression on the employer.

Description of character traits in cover letter

How to add your positive traits to your resume cover letter? An example in English might look like this:

"Even in stressed situation I try to keep the balance" or "I am always balanced, even in a tense situation."
"I would happy to have a chance to work with you" or "I would be happy to have a chance to work with you."

The accompanying message should motivate you to take action. It is necessary to write it in such a way that immediately upon reading the employer understands that he is facing an experienced and responsible candidate, an employee striving to achieve results, capable of selflessly working for the common good of the company.

Cover letter design

The key principle in composing a real cover letter is personally written text. It is strictly forbidden to copy or modify someone else's version.

A letter of this type should be in a generally accepted format and contain the following elements:

introduction (a single paragraph of no more than 500-600 characters without spaces);
enumeration of the reasons for contacting the company - several paragraphs in the form of a bulleted list, explaining the reasons for the applicant's choice of this particular position (the length of the text should not exceed 1,800 characters);
information about professional experience, supported by specific examples, with the possibility of attaching own projects and works (approximately 3,200 characters);
the final part with the contact information of the applicant (about 400 characters).

When composing the text of the cover letter for your resume, you should adhere to the style of business correspondence. The use of a specialized vocabulary in it, corresponding to the vacant position for which the candidate is fighting, dramatically increases his chances of arousing the interest of the employer and becoming an employee of the organization.

Mentioning recent company events and showing genuine interest in their activities gives the job seeker an opportunity to win sympathy and feedback from the employer. The most important thing is to do everything sincerely, otherwise the position will go to another applicant, not you.

Before sending your formal cover letter to your employer, be sure to reread the cover letter in English a couple of times to check for grammatical errors. If you wish, you can use the professional services of a translator.

Correct address to the addressee

At the very beginning of the accompanying message in English, there is an appeal to the addressee, which should begin with the words "Dear", that is, "Dear (s)".

If the letter is sent to a man, the turnover Mr is used, for a woman, respectively, Ms (without specifying marital status).

When the applicant is well acquainted with the employer, you can use the phrase Dear Mike, and if, on the contrary, you have never seen him, it is better to apply correctly by his last name - Dear Mr Berkley.

Expression of interest in a position

The level of interest in the vacancy is conveyed by the description of professional skills and experience. In this way, the candidate presents himself, that is, he first meets the employer, describing his skills and business qualities.

In addition, if you know people from among the employees of this company, mention them. But, of course, with their consent. The cover letter for the resume is prepared in different versions. Here's an example in English to describe your own parameters in a cover letter:

"With my management skills and understanding of your business, I can immediately begin to work in this position ..." or "With my leadership skills and orientation in the areas of your firm, I am ready to start my duties immediately."

Hint that you really hope for an answer by using this phrase: "I look forward to hear from you."

How to present your competence

“Thank you for your attention. I "m waiting for a possibility to talk to you why I could to work in that vacancy. Please contact me ..." from you a call or an answer by e-mail ... ".

How to complete your cover letter

As a rule, at the end of the message there is a short wish and the name of the author. Be guided by the example of the English version of the final part, which can be formulated as follows: "Best regards, Elena ..." or "All the best, Elena."

Spell checker

Errors in the text can create an unfavorable impression on the manager of the future employee and discourage him from continuing to read. Therefore, it is worth checking the grammar of the text once again using special programs. It is necessary to check the correctness of the arrangement of words in sentences: in Russian, phrases can start with the use of any words, while English provides special rules that determine the order of constructing sentences.

Spelling check is a must if you are writing your resume cover letter yourself and without a translator. Take your time when writing text. It is better to comprehend each sentence several times, because the correctness, conciseness and literacy of the message will affect the opinion about the author and the possibility of his employment in the chosen organization.

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What you don't need to write in your resume cover letter

1. Do not push your ambitions in your career.

Try not to use expressions like "I want to work where I can realize my skills and move up the career ladder." Such a pompous statement is more likely to scare away the employer than delight him. In addition, prior exposure to company work will only allow you to deal with those who are trying to promote their employees in professionally... So do not waste the recipient's time insisting on privileges before you have proven your abilities in practice.

2. Don't talk about the salary

This should not be done even when in one of the points of the announcement the employer asks to indicate your previous salary. Why? Employers need this data to filter out applicants who are either very expensive or not very experienced, which prevented them from earning more money earlier. Knowing your previous earnings will only diminish your chances of success. What to do? Complete your resume cover letter with a magic phrase that rules out further questions: "My salary was negotiable."

3. Don't mention why you left your previous job

Sometimes people feel the need to explain what made them work for so long (or short) in their previous positions. This is not worth doing. It is better to prepare in advance the answers to all kinds of questions about your work experience and save them in case of an interview during the appointment. Do not include facts in your cover letter that are likely to arouse the employer's suspicion.

Typical mistakes of every second resume cover letter

Let's name the most common disadvantages that can spoil the impression and even "chop off" all chances of success when discussing a resume.

Error 1.Stereotyping

The stereotyped, hackneyed phrases written "for a carbon copy" have a detrimental effect on the meaningfulness of your letter. If, after reading it, the employer decides that you are stamping them for distribution to all sorts of organizations, then your candidacy will surely be ignored.

Mistake 2.Business style violation

Of course, originality is good, but not in this case. In business correspondence, humor is also inappropriate if it does not correspond to the corporate culture of the employer's firm. Informal and unceremonious addresses can be harmful to the author. Do not use jargon, emoticons, non-statutory punctuation, etc.

Mistake 3.Common phrases

Try to exclude such convenient but meaningless expressions such as “I am a qualified (responsible, stress-resistant) worker,” “I am a quick learner,” etc.

All epithets should be supported by facts, arguments, numbers. For example, you do not need to write “I knowledgeable specialist", It should be said" I have devoted more than ten years to this field. "

Information about experts

Andrey Kolesnikov, CEO of PowerLexis, St. Petersburg. PowerLexis is a consulting company specializing in the development of technologies for capturing an audience through "live" business presentations. PowerLexis offers clients the development of concepts for presentations of products, services, projects, companies; development of corporate style and presentation design standard; consultations and analysis of presentations. Clients: Microsoft, Uniastrum Bank, Baltika OJSC, Baltic Customs Agency, Informtechnika group of companies, Beltel, Spetstrest No. 2 group of companies, etc.

Those who at least once faced the job search process, most likely, paid attention to the item "add a cover letter". More often than not, job seekers ignore this opportunity, not realizing how the presence of such an add-on can increase the applicant's chances of getting the desired position. But how do you write a letter correctly? How to get the employer to pay attention to your candidacy?

Dear reader! Our articles tell about typical solutions legal issues but each case is unique.

If you want to know how to solve exactly your problem - contact the online consultant form on the right or call by phone.

It's fast and free!

To write or not to write

Whether or not to write a cover letter is everyone's business. But before making a choice, it is better to find out more about what it is for, and whether employers are paying attention to such additions.

Firstly, a cover letter is an addition to your resume that can create your image more correctly, it helps to reveal your abilities, and emphasize the fact that a particular company needs an employee like you.

Unfortunately, practice shows that more than half of job seekers neglect the opportunity to make a better impression. Sometimes we are just so insecure that we cannot correctly imagine our advantages, for fear of giving the impression of a braggart and an inventor.

Approximately 30% of Russians actively use this option, believing that some addition to their resume will increase their chances of filling a particular position. And, it should be noted, they are absolutely right. This opinion is absolutely justified, since the data is taken from surveys of both novice recruiters and experienced headhunters.

Hiring professionals pay attention to those resumes, from which you can glean as much information as possible even before meeting with the respondent. This helps them to weed out not quite suitable people even before the interview, and, thereby, save time, which, as everyone knows, is priceless.

Personnel officers pay attention to individuals who, no matter how rude it may sound, are able to sell themselves. They believe that a person who is able to declare himself as a professional, able to attract attention, and convince in his rightness, will be able to adequately represent the company on the market.

Moreover, among several thousand simplified personnel officers, more than 600 replied that they did not even look through applications without letters attached to them.

It should be noted that this trend appeared several years ago, and earlier it was present only at western market labor. Now, our specialists have gained experience and learned how to optimize their time and value their work at its true worth.

The potential employee also gets rid of the need to attend absolutely all interviews, even in those places where he obviously does not fit.

Learn to value yourself and your time!

What do employers in Russia think about it?

As mentioned above, modern hr-managers have a positive attitude towards cover letters. This is especially true for those positions that involve sales and direct communication with people.

There are, of course, "old school" personnel officers who may consider the cover letter to be boastful, but most likely, such people will not be kept in reputable companies. Why would you waste your time on frivolous organizations?

Given the widespread fashion for trainings, coaching, and similar types of personal and professional development, it can be assumed that in a year or two, all employers will turn their attention to the presence of additional support.

If you plan to build a career and achieve high results, you need to learn how to write letters correctly. We will talk about how to do this further.

Choosing a writing style

The first thing to understand is adherence to a business style and a sense of proportion when writing a cover letter. You certainly need to praise yourself. But this must be done in such a way that the potential employer draws the necessary conclusions about you on his own.

Even if you have hidden (or even overt) writing talent, put it off until the end of your application. You should also not use complex phrases, ask rhetorical questions, and create intrigue, such as: “I know how to sell snow ... in winter ... to an Eskimo! Do you want to know my secret? " No no and one more time no. No one will appreciate this kind of humor, and it really is very easy to mistake it for bragging and arrogance.

Of course, having received such a letter, the recruiter may want to see you with his own eyes, but not in order to get a mysterious recipe for selling snow, but in order to put you in your place. Yes, yes, it happens.

Cover letter structure

We figured out the main purpose of writing a cover letter - this is to attract attention and arouse the desire to continue communication.

Let's figure out how to properly structure a letter so that you want to read it to the end, which will significantly increase your chances of success.

What NOT to do:

Tell jokes. Do not try to poison jokes or write comments with emoticons. This is awful and inappropriate.
Describe the pages of your life that have nothing to do with the desired position. Even if you carry things to the shelter and remove kittens from the tree - do not write this in your cover letter.
Use slang expressions and obscene language.
To offend the previous boss and the team. Phrases like: “I quit my previous job because I could not work under the command of a boor, a tyrant, and a dumbass,” will put you in an unfavorable light, but not the ex-boss.
Jump from topic to topic, destroying the consistency of the presentation.

So, we figured out what to avoid. It's time to consider an example of a good cover letter. It should consist of:

Greetings, for which it is better to choose the form "good morning / day / time of day."
An indication of the person who is represented in the vacancy as a manager or a person responsible for personnel. For example: "Good afternoon, Sergei Stanislavovich."
The link to the place where you learned about the vacancy: "The job.ru site says that you are looking for the head of the sales department." If you send a request not by e-mail, but use the services of official portals, then there is no need to indicate the obvious things.
Let's get to the heart of the matter. In two or three sentences, we will tell you why we so want to work for this particular company. Attention! Not in this position, but in this particular company. In order to formulate everything correctly, learn something about the enterprise you intend to become a part of. For example: “I would like to become a part of your company / firm / holding, because I like your approach to sales / customer acquisition, etc. I consider it the most effective and actively used it (I want to use it) in my work. "
We describe our advantages without copying everything directly from the resume. Better to write: "I am suitable for this position because I have successful experience with these systems / I have ideas for business development and increasing results."
Contrary to stereotypes - you should not describe your ambitions and "Napoleonic" plans, unless of course you are asked about it.
Eliminate excuses. If you have been fired or out of work for a period of time, you should not pay attention to this.
Forget about patterns from the category: "I am easy to learn (a), I am plasticine, mold anything out of me" or "I am stress-resistant (a) and punctual (a)." This is corny and simply annoys people who have to read it every day. Have pity on them.
In the final part, express your willingness to answer any questions by phone, email, or in person. After these words, indicate all contacts. What if they are on the resume? It's okay, business etiquette requires specifying contacts in the letter.

Registration rules

You need to design a cover letter the same way as any business correspondence:

Let's note right away that honesty is good. But expect that the headhunter will weep at the phrase: "I have no experience, but I will do my best to learn."

Yes, you may not have a suitable experience, perhaps you have just graduated from college. This is not a reason to despair, but you should not relax either. You need to be ready for any job, at least in theory. Do everything you can about the position, and be sure to include sources in your cover letter.

I have no official experience in this area, but I worked remotely in order to see the scheme of work "from the inside". Attending trainings, and, moreover, having certificates, will be a plus, therefore, do not forget to mention them as well.

Give reasonable praise for the company's approach, for example, “I love that you are using full immersion in your language learning process. I consider this method to be one of the most effective and would love to test all my knowledge in practice. "

Finishing touches

After the text is typed, be sure to check the spelling for whatever position you are applying for. It is not good to be illiterate.
Go through all the required items. Is everything in place?
Check the spelling of your email address and phone number.
Align the margins and choose a suitable font. Better to give preference to the classics: Times New Roman, size 12.

The cover letter is a supporting document to the submitted resume.

If you are sending your resume to a foreign company with a worldwide reputation (brand), then the requirements for the compilation of the accompanying one are quite high. The document must be drawn up on a separate sheet; all details, which, in particular, include the title, date of compilation, name and address of the recipient, signature - are affixed in accordance with the rules for processing business letters. If the information is sent by e-mail, then the cover letter, like the resume, should be attached in Word format.

A resume sent by E-mail to less pretentious structures can accompany the correct text in the body of the letter itself, without putting it on a separate sheet. surname, initials (or surname and first name) and contact information must be in plain sight.

A short cover letter looks something like this (examples 1-3):

Example 1.

Dear Maria,

in response to your vacancy "refrigeration equipment sales manager" published in the "Work and Salary" magazine, I am sending my resume. I would be very grateful if you do not disregard him.

Best wishes,
Ivanova Anna, tel. 8-916-111-11-11

Example 2.

Good afternoon, Maria.

In the attached resume file. I am applying for the position of a financial analyst. Source of information about the vacancy www.zarplata.ru Ready to provide any Additional information required for the consideration of my candidacy.

Example 3.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Please consider my resume for the vacancy of an accountant, deputy chief accountant.
I would be glad to receive an invitation from you for an interview.

Yours faithfully, Ivanova Anna, tel. 8-916-111-11-11

Full cover letter (intended for Western-style companies personnel management) is constructed in a similar way. The text of the cover letter must reflect:

1. Title of the position (possibly - two related or similar positions), to which the resume is sent; it is also desirable to indicate from which source you learned about the vacant position (positions); proposal of his candidacy.

Example 4:
After reviewing the information on your website, I learned that your company has opened vacancies in the field of sanitary control of meat and dairy raw materials. In this regard, I would like to propose my candidacy for consideration for a position related to the implementation of the function of quality control, sanitary and veterinary control of raw materials and finished products. I believe that my work experience can be in demand both in the position of an expert in the procurement of meat and dairy raw materials, and in the position of the head of the sanitary control service.

2. A very short, but accurate and meaningful summary of the resume, aimed at justifying the suitability of your professional and personal qualities the position for which you are applying.

3. Your willingness to work, give, and professional growth in the area specified in the vacancy direction, and better - within the walls of this particular company.

Example 5:
Over the past years, I have been successfully working in the chosen direction as part of the state veterinary and customs regulatory authorities, I have established contacts and experience of cooperation both with the largest Russian food industry enterprises and with leading foreign suppliers. The attached resume will give an idea of my professional experience, qualifications and potential opportunities.

Example 6:
All my experience labor activity, professional knowledge and skills, as well as expectations of further advancement, lie in the area of active direct sales and work with clients (both at the executive and administrative levels). At the moment, I have more than 5 years of experience in sales in the B2B market in the production area, as well as experience in leadership in this direction for last year work. In my last job, as the head of the sales department, I was personally responsible for the activities and results of the sales service in the field of B2B (medical and cosmetic equipment).

4. Readiness for a personal interview in the company, during which you will more fully present information about yourself.

5. Contact information.

Example 7:
I will gladly accept the offer to meet and tell a little more about my work experience and potential potential. You can contact me by phone ... or email ...
Sincerely,…

Example 8:
If you are interested, I will be glad to answer all your questions during the interview. You can contact by phone. Thank you in advance for your attention and the time devoted to my candidacy.
Sincerely,…

A cover letter may not be universal for the entire range of jobs you are interested in. Since the addressee of the letter is different people and different organizations, the text of the letter, in accordance with each requested vacancy, should be slightly modified. A cover letter always refers to a specific vacancy in a specific company.