In all reality, your cover letter makes the same impact if not even more than your resume. Your cover letter provides the first impression of what kind of a person you are. Write a cover letter that's terrible, you wouldn't even make it to the pile. Your application will just end up in the trash.

Your cover letter should immediately grab the attention of the reader and keep him interested all through out. Make it long and it would probably not be finished by the reader. What you need is your cover letter to be short, concise and impeccably clean and free from errors.

Your cover letters objection is to pique the interest of the leader to move on to your resume and eventually move you to the short list granted a chance for an interview. Most of the people in human resources are busy. They don't need you to be meddling with their time. What they need is to be able to determine which people are able for the job. Your cover letter alone can help you be one of them.

Your cover letter should immediately depict you as the right person for the job. So it is imperative that you properly know what you are applying for. It should show you as the right person for the job. In your first paragraph alone, you should be able to generate interest already. Also, you should be able to tell them what position you are applying for.

In the second paragraph, outline your qualifications. This should explain why you are the best person for the job. Include your work experiences, educational attainment, trainings and skills. Make sure to only include those that are applicable to the position you are applying for. This will allow you to concentrate on the necessary details that can land you the job.

On the next paragraphs, explain why you want to work for them. Explain why their company works best for you. Then tell them what you can do for the company, how the company can and will benefit from you.

Here are some more tips on writing an effective cover letter:

• Be original. Avoid using templates. The reader may have seen them already and will associate this to you. He or she may think you are lazy and you don't have any originality.

• Be specific. If you are too vague with your qualifications and credentials, you may come off as being unsure of yourself.

• Do your research, knowing how to specifically address your letter makes a good impression. It shows that you are genuinely interested.

• Stick to the truth. Don't over exaggerate your accomplishments. Many potential employers check up on what you have written down. If you are caught lying, then you can't be trusted.

And as a general rule, check and double check your cover letter before submitting it. Any grammatical errors, wrong spelling and such will reflect back to you.