When the job market is this tough and getting tougher by the day, you need to step up to the plate in order to compete. Think about it: for every job that is available out there, there are hundreds of applicants vying for it. Imagine just 10% of that figure as the ones who are truly qualified, that should leave you with a couple of hundred rivals for the same job. Scary, isn't it?

Why you need a strategy

In order for you to get hired, you need to get noticed, something you might have trouble with if you do not have a good employment strategy that will blow the competition out of the way. It's a tough way of putting it, but if you truly want something, you'll have to be strong enough to go after it. Unfortunately, that's the same sentiment that goes on in the minds of the couple of hundred of your competitors.

However, if you have a strategy, you could turn your employment chances to your favor and believe it or not, much of that will ride on a single piece of paper: your employment cover letter.

- How a good employment cover letter strategy can add sizzle to your professional life

A cover letter is more than your introduction to a potential employer. It also contains the information your employer needs to decide whether or not they should give you the time of day. Your cover letter is more than just a summary of your resume ? it is your ticket to gain your potential employer's confidence that yes, you might just be the right person for the job.

- Strategies you can use for an employment cover letter

There are certain things that you should keep in mind when you start writing your cover letter. More than anything, this one document will show your potential employer what your best points are and why of all the applicants who vie for the same job, you are the one person they should talk to. Here are some strategies you should include in your employment arsenal:

Targeted

Employers appreciate it very much if you've done a good job researching about their company. They don't want to feel that they are just one of the many in your long list of potential bosses. It makes them feel insignificant and makes you look like a desperate job hunter.

Write a targeted employment cover letter as your strategy. Design a cover letter that will show your potential employer you fit perfectly in their organization. Show the matches and emphasize your selling points, qualifications you have that are badly needed by their company. If they see your relevance, they will realize that their organization truly has a need for someone like you.

Professional

A professionally written cover letter is not something you can achieve overnight. Sometimes you'll even need someone's help in order to do it. Nevertheless, as an employment strategy, your cover letter should be direct, polite and complete.

It should follow the standards required of a good cover letter and have the right elements to help you come across as someone to be taken seriously. It should be well written, free from any grammatical and spelling errors of any kind and should flow logically.

Confident

As part of your employment strategy, a cover letter should convey the message that you are a person who knows exactly who he is and what he has to offer. State your achievements and qualifications matter-of-factly to let your potential employer know that you have what it takes to fill that job vacancy. Tell them what you have done and what you can do without bragging.

Employment strategies should not only look good on paper, they should also deliver. When you write your cover letter, include elements that make you special, anything in your past work experience and training that will tell your potential employer that you're the best person for the job. If you can let your employer see you in that light, you'd have captured your dream job.