Ideal cover letter for resume example. Cover letter for resume - examples of writing

The ability to write a resume correctly is of great importance, but equally important is how to correctly write a cover letter for it. Ready-made examples, useful recommendations for drafting - all this can be seen in the article.

No work experience

Accountant

Sales Manager

Lawyer

Secretary

Expert opinion

Chadova Svetlana

Even if you are confident in your own literacy, you should still carefully read the text of the letter at least once. “Clumsy” presentation, spelling, punctuation and other errors are not allowed.

Main purpose

Cover letter for resume performs a number of important functions:

Prefaces reading the summary and contains all the necessary comments.
Allows you to stand out from other applicants thanks to the ability to add a few more offers. This is especially true in cases where the resume is compiled in the form of a questionnaire, the form of which is offered by the employer himself. Then it is the cover letter that will carry a touch of individuality.
It allows you to interest the reader, convinces him of the need to familiarize himself with the resume and ultimately forms a certain impression about the applicant, namely about his ability to self-present and “sell” himself.
Finally, the letter can briefly mention information that would be out of place in a resume.

Types of cover letters for resumes

Among the variety of such business documents, two large groups can be distinguished:

Short letter performs a purely technical task: it really “accompanies” the resume and sets up the reader to open the main document to get acquainted with the applicant’s candidacy in absentia. As a rule, it consists of 2-3 sentences, for example:

“Hello, Viktor Nikolaevich! My name is Ekaterina Borisovna. I’m interested in the vacancy of an active sales manager, I’ll send you all the necessary information in your resume.”

In such cases, it is obvious that there is no point in duplicating the information of the main document or trying to compose particularly long texts. Before talking about yourself, you should say hello and briefly introduce yourself.

Detailed cover letter, as a rule, is used when the applicant wants to fill a vacancy as a manager, commercial director and other management positions. These situations also include cases where the applicant applies for “non-standard” creative professions. Obviously, it is necessary, already at the stage of writing a resume, to demonstrate your communication skills and show your individuality in order to form a favorable first impression.

Expert opinion

Chadova Svetlana

Leading HR specialist, lawyer, labor law consultant, website expert

You should not think that the accompanying text is written on a full page or more. In fact, it should consist of 3-4 points (3-4 paragraphs) and can be easily read in literally 30-40 seconds.

Structure of accompanying text for a resume

A cover letter for a resume has a clear structure: it must be written taking into account all the necessary points:

Greetings.
Main part.
Parting.

Greetings

You can greet in any convenient way: “Hello” or “Good afternoon”. It is important to take into account several features:

If you know in advance who exactly you will be contacting, you should mention this person. It is allowed to call it exactly as you read about it in the corresponding advertisement - by name or patronymic name.
If you don’t know who exactly you should contact, you can simply write “Hello!” or “Good afternoon!”
If you have already communicated with this person on the phone, you can briefly mention this fact - this will make it much easier for the employee to remember you. For example:

“Good afternoon, Maria! As a continuation of our telephone conversation today, I am sending you my resume.”

Main part

This is the body of the accompanying text. Your thoughts should be presented concisely, specifically and logically. It is not allowed to move from one point to another, to violate the logic of the story. The following sequence of presentation can be taken as a basis:

First, they traditionally talk about what position they are applying for. She should be called exactly the same as she was mentioned in the department, for example: “active sales manager of the sales department.”
Then you need to talk in an interesting, non-clichéd way about why this particular vacancy attracted your attention. It is best to be sincere and avoid categorical formulations, for example: “Since childhood I have dreamed of...”, “I really love...”, “I am irreplaceable...”, “My unique qualification allows...”, etc. This may be true - i.e. a person really can have a calling. But it’s better to put yourself in the reader’s place: no one can completely believe a person in absentia, just because he wrote a well-written letter presenting his talents.
Next, you need to describe your own professional experience. Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that you are not describing experience in general, but precisely that which can be useful in a given position. If you have no experience at all, you can write about it like this:

“I am a graduate….so this job may be my first.” That is, you shouldn’t write categorically, “I don’t have any experience, but I’ll learn everything.”

At the end of the main part, just before saying goodbye, you can once again mention why you are so interested in this vacancy. Of course, this needs to be done in other words - so that the reader finds it interesting.

Parting

You need to write politely and moderately original. There are 2 options:

You can follow the standard path: “Sincerely” and your contact information.
You can hint that you are expecting an answer, i.e. create a certain image of the future, but again without categoricalness, for example:

“I will be glad to hear your response to the letter and hope for fruitful cooperation.”

“I am waiting for a response to the letter, I will be glad to see your offer.”

On the other hand, you should not demonstrate any extreme feelings, for example:

“I’m really looking forward to your answer, you are my last hope”

“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you, hopefully soon.”

Writing a cover letter for your resume: TOP 5 useful tips

And finally, 5 of the most important tips, which can also be considered the most common mistakes made by applicants. The ability to write a cover letter for a resume is important both at the stage of absentee consideration of a candidate and during the interview. Essentially, this is an opportunity to make a first impression. Therefore, it is better to know in advance what mistakes should not be made when drawing up this document.

1. Brevity is the sister of talent

A succinct, specific presentation is one of the most important requirements. The evaluation criterion is very simple: it should take no more than a minute to read the entire text. At the same time, you need to read thoughtfully, and not slip between the lines.

2. To the point and to the point

The style of presentation is exclusively formal and businesslike. The content of the document is filled exclusively with facts: what vacancy you are interested in, where you found out about it, what exactly you were interested in, what is your experience in similar activities.

3. Create an atmosphere of trust

The purpose of the letter is to “sell” the first meeting. And without establishing a trusting environment, this will be difficult to do. You can create such an atmosphere with unconventional wording. Surely the phrases “I am interested in mutually beneficial cooperation”, “I have a sufficient level of competence”, I treat any business with the utmost seriousness and responsibility” can “scare off”. The reason is their stereotyped nature and a touch of categoricalness. The same clichés can be replaced with phrases containing objective, specific facts.

Typically, cover letters are required for applicants applying for mid-level or high-level management positions, and a cover letter for a resume is also required for employment in a foreign company. Therefore, those applying for this type of position need to know how to write a cover letter to an employer.

In Western countries, where the labor market is well developed, job seekers always send the employer a resume with a cover letter. The Russian labor market is not yet sufficiently developed, hence the different attitude towards cover letters among different companies.

Until recently, Russian job seekers brought their resumes to the employer only in paper form. When HR managers received a whole stack of similar resumes, they had to review each candidate, and this took a lot of time, so there was no talk at all about cover letters as additional paper documents.

But these days there has been a widespread development in computer technology, and job seekers mostly respond to vacancies posted by employers electronically. Therefore, a 2-paragraph resume cover letter will not pose a problem for hiring managers.

A resume usually reflects information about the education, work experience, and professional skills of the job seeker.

Covering letter– this is additional information about the applicant that he adds to his resume when responding to a vacancy offered by an employer. Sometimes employers read the cover letter first and then look at the resume.

Often, applicants do not attach importance to the cover letter and consider it unnecessary, because all the basic information is indicated in the resume. But this is completely wrong; because of this approach, a person may not get the desired position.

Often, hiring managers, after reading a poorly written cover letter, don’t even read the candidate’s resume. Some HR professionals do not consider resumes without supporting information at all.

Benefits for the applicant that a cover letter provides

If a job seeker supplements his resume with additional information, this indicates that he is familiar with the business standards accepted by companies. There are also the following benefits for the applicant from a cover letter:

A resume usually has a standard structure, and almost all resumes differ little from each other, and accompanying information can show that the applicant has good written language and constructs sentences correctly.
In the accompanying information you can emphasize motivation, which is an important point for applicants who have little experience in their chosen field of activity.
A candidate for a vacancy in a cover letter can talk about his strengths, special skills that may be suitable for this particular company; in the resume there is such a column, then everything is listed there, without emphasizing anything.
The applicant can write something individual in the supporting information that cannot be done in a regular standard resume.
In the accompanying information, you can show that you already know something about this company, write that you want to work in this company.

Important! Any company will hire, first of all, a person who is interested in its development and promotion, and not just a highly qualified specialist. You can prove that you are the right employee who will help the development and growth of the company in a cover letter with your resume.

How to write a cover letter for a resume

Many people do not know exactly what to write in a cover letter for a resume. Recruiters often see the following information accompanying a potential candidate's resume:

repeat texts posted on the Internet;
they write that they are very admired by the employer’s company;
praise themselves without providing evidence;
They just write general phrases.

In order to hire you, HR managers should see answers to the following questions in your cover letter:

Information about the writer, who exactly writes accompanying information.
Write about your benefits in this company, explain more precisely why the company needs you.
To clarify, Why do you need this company?

Cover letter structure

A cover letter is a document, and therefore it must meet certain requirements found in a business letter.

Greetings. The letter must begin with a greeting; please contact the company employee responsible for personnel selection by name and patronymic. You can write “Dear” or “Dear” first. If you are applying for a job in a foreign company, then the name of the employee. You can start with the greeting “Good afternoon” or “Hello.”
Main part. Here you need to write about where you learned about this vacancy, about the position you are counting on, write why you are interested in this vacancy. Write that you wanted to learn how to solve new problems, you are interested in the company's product, etc. Write about the experience you already have that can help the development of the company and which is not mentioned in the resume. Also in this part you can explain any details from the resume that do not speak in your favor, for example, a break in work.
Conclusion. In this part, you should thank for the attention and time spent reading your letter, and write that you are ready to meet with the HR manager and discuss all issues in more detail.
Parting. Be sure to write at the end “With respect” or “Best regards” (for managers of a foreign company).
Please include your contact information at the end.

Basic requirements for a cover letter

Typically, HR managers who know the rules for writing a cover letter will appreciate it if the cover letter is written according to the following rules:

The letter must be concise, occupy no more than half a page of A4 sheet so that it can be quickly read;
The letter must be capacious, do not contain excess water, applicants do not like this;
The letter must be written in business style, it should not contain long subordinate clauses, it should not contain formalities, it should be written without unnecessary emotionality;
It is necessary to show personal approach to write a letter, it should be written like a conversation with a personnel manager;
The letter must be unique, it is necessary not to repeat template letters available on the Internet;
The letter must be relevant, you should not write in it information that your employer does not need;
The letter must be specific, you can reflect in it your specific achievements, provide reliable figures that can increase your chances of getting this job;
In the letter you can indicate recommendations, which can increase your chances.

Mistakes when writing a cover letter

Often, in additional information to a resume, HR managers identify the following shortcomings:

Application of conventional templates letters, all phrases of the letter are written “like a carbon copy”;
The cover letter simply duplicated information taken from a resume, this should not be done, only contact information can be repeated;
The letter says common phrases, if you write that you are an experienced specialist, then specify the information and write that you have work experience, for example, five years in this field, etc.;
Spelling and punctuation errors are also unacceptable in a cover letter; the employer is unlikely to want to hire such an illiterate employee.

What not to write in a cover letter for a resume:

Wording to be avoided	Correct writing
We look forward to meeting you again	We look forward to further cooperation
We greet you	Dear Peter Ivanovich
In response to your unreasonable demand	Response to request dated May 15, 2018 No. CA45663 02
I think your assessment was very ignorant	We send a response letter confirming quality
Your employees are not competent	Please reconsider our meeting

Sending a cover letter

Supporting information is usually sent to the employer along with the resume. Common formalities for sending cover letters include:

If you are sending a printed letter, please place it on a separate sheet of paper;
If you are sending a letter electronically, then write it in the body of the electronic document.

Some tips on timing your cover letter:

You can send a cover letter before sending your resume, this way you can interest the employer and attract his attention;
You can send a letter after sending your resume, thus reminding about yourself;
You can send a cover letter after the interview with the employer, if you have equal chances with another candidate, then it can increase your chance of getting the job.

Examples of cover letters for resumes

Of course, we can’t do without examples.

Example of a short cover letter

"Good afternoon! (If you know who this letter was sent to, then you should contact them by name and patronymic) I was interested in your vacancy, which I found. I have the following qualities (Here you need to indicate all the qualities that you possess; on our website in the article on resumes there is the most suitable set of qualities -). I am very grateful for your time. My contacts (specify the required contacts)"

Example of a cover letter for a resume for a lawyer

"Hello! I am interested in a vacancy published by your company on the website hh.ru. My experience as a lawyer is more than 10 years. I would like to offer you my experience as a lawyer. I graduated from the university (specify university) with honors and immediately began working in my position; I am well versed in jurisprudence and civil law. Worked for companies (specify companies). Good judicial practice, drafted statements of claim, court applications, and attorney requests. I have good command of office programs and computer. Among the personal qualities I highlight are the desire to understand the essence of the problem, perseverance.

I would be grateful for an invitation to an interview"

Example of a cover letter for a manager's resume

“Dear Pyotr Vasilyevich! I carefully studied the vacancy of your company on the website hh.ru for the position of manager, I am sure that I fully meet your requirements for this position. Graduated from university with a degree in (specify specialty). I worked as a manager for 12 years, I have great skills in managing people, there is good management there, maintaining a large database of clients, I was engaged in consulting large enterprises on management. Proficient knowledge of office software.

I am grateful for your consideration of my resume, I look forward to further cooperation. Ready to come for an interview at any time.”

Example of a cover letter for an accountant's resume

"Hello! I have reviewed your resume for the position of accountant. I am sure that my qualifications will completely suit you. I have a professional higher education majoring in Accounting. Work experience 15 years. Extensive experience in using the 1C Accounting program and experience in maintaining primary documentation. Accounting is strictly in accordance with the law. More detailed information can be found in my resume. Sincerely, Galina Petrovna. I hope for further cooperation. "

Result: If you have compiled a cover letter according to all the rules and sent it to the employer, this is not a guarantee that you will definitely get this position, but it significantly increases your chances of success.

A cover letter is an integral additional part of a resume when applying for employment in a large foreign or domestic organization with Western principles.

If you are applying for a position in a foreign company with a global brand, then you need to approach writing and drafting a cover letter with all responsibility.

According to generally accepted rules, a cover letter is drawn up:

on a separate form if the resume is sent in printed form;
in the body of the email if the resume is sent by email;
details, title, date, name and address of the recipient must be formatted in accordance with the rules for writing business letters.

A cover letter for a resume is usually provided on a separate form with the applicant’s details or in the body of an email (message).

Here's an example of writing a short cover letter:

Option 1.

Dear Alexander, in response to your vacancy for “real estate specialist” posted in the “Personnel” newspaper, I am sending my resume. I would be very grateful if you do not ignore it.

Sincerely,
Kolesnikov Maxim, phone +7-985-23-56-89

Option 2.

Good afternoon, Alexander.

In the attached resume file. I am applying for a position as a lawyer. Source of information about the vacancy www.kadry.ru I am ready to provide any additional information necessary for consideration of my candidacy.

Option 3.

Dear Sirs,

Please consider my resume for the vacancy of real estate specialist, realtor. I will be glad to receive an invitation from you for an interview.

Sincerely, Maxim Kolesnikov, phone +7-985-23-56-89

A more detailed cover letter is written according to a similar pattern.

For greater clarity, you can familiarize yourself with a sample cover letter for a resume.

Let's highlight the main points that must be reflected in the extended form of the cover letter:

1. The proposed position (as shown in example No. 3, it is possible to indicate two related positions) for which a resume is provided.

3. Offer the employer to consider your candidacy.

4. Briefly, but accurately and meaningfully, make an excerpt from your resume in order to justify the correspondence of your professional and personal qualities to the position for which you are applying.

5. It is imperative to indicate your readiness to work with dedication and professional growth in the direction specified in the vacancy, in this particular organization.

For example:

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

For example:

All my work experience, professional knowledge and skills, as well as expectations for further advancement lie in the field of active direct sales and working with clients (both at the executive and administrative levels). At the moment, I have more than 5 years of experience in sales on the B2B market in the manufacturing field, as well as management experience in this area during the last year of work. At my last job, as head of the sales department, I was personally responsible for the activities and results of the sales service in the B2B field (medical and cosmetology equipment).

6. Willingness and desire to undergo a personal interview or an interview at a company, during which you will be able to more fully and accurately provide information about yourself.

For example:

I would be happy to accept the offer to meet and tell you a little more about your work experience and possible potential. You can contact me by phone... or email...

Sincerely,…

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

Sincerely,…