First impressions are crucial. We rely on them and in 2006 psychologists found we can make reliable judgments of strangers in a tenth of a second. That's faster than the blink of an eye. More importantly, these impressions dye the memory and become hard to change. The brain returns to them again and again.



And how do you make your first impression with an employer?

Answer: With your cover letter.

That's right. With that letter you may have hastily composed to explain the obvious: That you've attached a resume.

Don't let the name fool you. "Cover letter" suggests afterthought, slap-on status. Yet it is critical, since:

1. It speaks for you before the resume. It introduces you. A pleasant, clear, brief cover letter conveys one message; a remote, gnarled, wandering letter another.

2. It highlights aspects of your career that might otherwise get lost in the resume. It gives you a chance to aim spotlights at the right places.

3. It shows your care for detail. Or, rather, it shows that you aren't careless, that you haven't dashed off a last-minute message.

4. It can reveal your judgment. For instance, if you mention irrelevancies like hobbies in the cover letter, you can trip yourself up. No one wants an executive with poor judgment.

5. It's you. The resume is data, presumably well-polished, but the cover letter is your voice. It's the prelude to the interview. You stand on the foundation of the resume, which indicates what you can do. The cover letter suggests how you will do it.

For all these reasons, employers often scrutinize the cover letter. Countless smart executives have never heard back because their cover letters sabotaged them. On the other hand, a sharp one helps move you to the top of the resume stack. Take the time to make sure you get the cover letter right. Just as you pay attention to that firm handshake.

How do you write a good cover letter? Here are Some Tips

Use the following tactics when you sit down to draft your cover letter:

Highlight your best features. The cover letter resembles lighting in a theater. It illuminates the key parts of your resume, so they make the biggest impression. It also lets you emphasize the fit between yourself and the position. Remember, the firm isn't looking for the most impressive candidate overall. It doesn't want Albert Einstein for COO, as luminous as he might be. It's looking for the person who can best carry out the position.

Be brief and relevant. A very long cover letter suggests a wandering mind and a wagging tongue. It also implies you don't understand the purpose of the letter, which is simply to introduce yourself, underscore points of interest, and seek action.

Follow a four-part structure. In general, the letter should follow this framework:

"Introduction. Provide your name and, if helpful, your position.

"Your goal. Indicate the position you seek. You can sometimes fuse the first two parts into the opening sentence.

"Your key qualifications. Present outstanding qualities or achievements that will pique the employer's interest.

"Request for action. State that you'd like an interview or the job itself. While submission of the resume implies that goal, make your interest clear. An explicit invitation is stronger than an implicit one.

Of course, shape this letter to the circumstances. There are no structure police.

Use a prose style different from that in the resume. Make it easily readable. Favor short sentences, which enhance clarity. The resume may address somewhat complex topics, but don't do it here. Favor short paragraphs too, which can help drive home a point. Don't repeat phrases word-for-word from the resume. You'll seem lazy or unimaginative, and you can always find a way to restate ideas. Depending on the job, you have an opportunity to be warmer, but keep the letter focused on business.

Avoid puffery, cliches, and chest-thumping. They are no more helpful here than in the resume, and may be worse.

Address it to a person, not a title. The recipient is a human being, so make personal contact. Research the name of the hiring authority if you don't know it. If the company hasn't revealed it, you'll create a smart impression at the outset and gain an edge over other applicants.

Make sure all key information is also in the resume. The resume tends to circulate while the cover letter doesn't, and the two may become separated. Moreover, omitting vital points from the resume makes you look careless.

Proofread it carefully and ask a friend to read it. As with the resume, one typo can doom you. And a friend may spot ambiguities in your language and suggest points to add or cut.

Adapt it to other contexts. These principles work generally for the variety of letters you will write, from the thank-you note to the personal contact letter to a company acquaintance seeking background. You simply have to contour them to the person and situation.