A cover letter is a letter of introduction to an employer, which is used to formally submit a resume for employer review.  The goal of the cover letter is to identify your intent to “apply for” or “seek out” a specific position within a company or present yourself as available for a range of positions within a company.

When applying for a job or submitting a resume blindly to a company, you should always include a cover letter, whether by mail or e-mail.  Cover letters are used to introduce yourself and clearly explain your desire to apply for a job position or make yourself available within a company.  The cover letter is used to highlight a few key points and present the resume.

Review cover letter examples is a good place to start.   You can use examples to get an idea of how professional writers have developed cover letters, introduce job seekers and structure the content.  You still need to target the cover letter at your audience and make sure the letter has some personal feel.

Various styles and formats for a cover letter can be used for different occasions.  Tactics and strategies will generally change depending on the situation:  applying for a position from an advertisement, submitting the letter after being referred from a colleague or just sending your resume cold to employer in your industry.

We have yet to find one career or resume professional that doesn’t recommend sending a cover letter with every resume that you submit.  A cover letter allows you the opportunity to introduce yourself in a professional manner.