Your cover letters are as significant as your resume is. While the resume is, in a sense, a fact sheet, the cover letter is your sales pitches to a specific company. In fact, your cover letters enable you to adapt your background to prospective employers' needs since you'll be writing an individual cover letter for each job application you send out.

In general, your cover letters allow you to expand upon and emphasize particular aspects of your resume -- based upon the requirements of the particular position you're seeking.

Therefore, consider what the specific organization needs and address your letter to those needs. Many recruiters can spot form letters and don't take them as seriously as letters adapted to their specific company, so write a carefully adapted letter rather than a generic one that you send to every company to get your foot in the door for an interview.

Cover Letters are Necessary!

Cover letters are simply a letter of introduction.In these letters you are explaining who you are and why you are writing to the resume reader.It is a matter of courtesy that you introduce yourself when you are requesting something of them, in this case an interview.

What Instances Require a Cover Letter

Our rule is - if you are not shaking hands with the hiring decision maker and introducing yourself, then you need a cover letter to introduce you.If you are shaking hands with the hiring manager, you are introducing yourself verbally and requesting an interview.In this case, hand them your resume without a cover letter.

On the other hand, if you are sending a resume by mail, if you give your resume to a friend to hand in, or if you leave your resume with the hiring manager's secretary then you are not shaking the hiring manager's hand and you need to have a cover letter enclosed with your resume.

Cover Letters Should Be Brief and Simple

Hiring managers only glance at cover letters.They have 50+ resumes to read out of which they will select a few candidates for interviews.I recommend letters be 3-4 paragraphs.
Many people provide lengthy autobiographies in the cover letter.They regurgitate their resume and then some.This is a waste of the writer's and reader's time.

Cover Letter Content

Address these 4 topics in a succinct manner and the hiring manager will be grateful.

1) For what position are you applying?

2) How did you learn of the position or company?

3) Why are you perfect for the position?

4) Who will contact who?

You should usually cover 1 & 2 in the first paragraph and a paragraph each for 3 & 4.