SIGNIFICANCE OF COVER

LETTER AND FOLLOW-UP FOR

RESUME.

YAMINI JOHRI
AMITY UNIVERISTY,  Noida
 Impact of a Cover Letter and Follow Up Letter on a Resume

What is a cover letter?

A covering letter is a one-page document addressed to the interviewer or potential employer
that includes your contact details, the role you are applying for and further detail surrounding
the information in your CV. Cover letters should highlight your interest in the role and
expand on your skills and experiences that make you best suited for the position. Within the
letter, you should align your qualifications, relevant skills, and previous experience clearly to
the job description to emphasise that you have done your research into the role and are keen
to join the team. A good covering letter will increase your chances of being invited for an
interview.
Goal of a cover letter
The overall goal of a cover letter is to demonstrate your uniqueness as a candidate, one that
can bring value to the position; and to show that you are literate, experienced, and
enthusiastic about it. A well-written cover letter is an opportunity to show the reader you
encompass these key attributes, which is why it is important to invest the necessary time and
effort into writing yours. 
There are certain points it adds to a person’s resume:
1) Value
Showcasing your key strengths confidently to grab the reader’s attention. This will
increase the likelihood of progression through the selection process.
2) Literate
it’s important to make sure you check it over and have a friend do so as well before
submitting. A fresh pair of eyes could go a long way in securing an interview. A well-
written cover letter can also showcase your ability to effectively communicate via
written text. A thorough spelling and grammar check is an absolute must. 
3) Uniqueness
Use your cover letter to display your unique combination of skills and experience that
relate to the job selection criteria of the role. Provide examples that will demonstrate a
clear link between your knowledge, experience and abilities, and the needs of the
employer.
4) Experienced
While soft skills, as well as academic skills, are critical for securing an interview, it’s
also important to demonstrate your experience in relation to the job description. Be
sure to include examples of relevant experience in your cover letter to highlight the
value you would bring to the role and why you would be the best-suited candidate for
the position. 
5) Enthusiastic
A tailored, compelling cover letter shows you have taken the time to research the
company and understand the employer’s needs and job requirements. It is an
opportunity to express that you are enthusiastic about the role, keen to be part of the
team and demonstrate the value you would add to the company.
How is a cover letter important?

Regardless of the position you are applying for, supporting your resume with a cover letter
can boost your chances of landing a job. Here are some reasons why cover letters are
important:

 To impress employer

It allows you to make a good first impression on the employer. A well-written cover letter
that highlights your best role-specific strengths can position you as an outstanding candidate
among equally qualified applicants. Because the cover letter emphasizes your core
competencies, it does an excellent job of marketing your skills and gaining the hiring
manager’s attention, increasing the chances of getting the role.

 Show personality

Unlike a resume that is space-constrained, a cover letter allows you to elaborate your
personality traits. You can use it to demonstrate several positive personal qualities such as
leadership, self-motivation, and other traits that will add value to the company. Writing a
cover letter also allows you to further impress upon the reader the reasons you are the most
qualified candidate for the role.

 Demonstrate suitability for the role

A cover letter allows you to demonstrate to the employer how your role-relevant skills,
achievements, and experience will translate to results when hired. You can use successes
from previous roles to help the reader visualize you have the knowledge and workplace
experience to perform effectively if hired.

 Showcase passion for the role

The mere exercise of writing a cover letter shows you have a strong interest to work in an
organization. Writing a powerful letter that demonstrates an in-depth understanding of the
role and the employer’s needs helps you stand out from the crowd and shows you will likely
have a positive impact on the company.
Concept of Follow-Up

If you don't hear from the hiring manager within two weeks, it may be worth following up.
Most experts agree that following up in a courteous, professional way will help you stand out
from the competition. It may be easiest to follow up via email—for both you and for the
employer. Follow-up emails give the hiring team a record of the correspondence and an
opportunity to reply at a convenient time. If no email address is listed, you can try sending a
hard-copy letter or calling the company. If no email address or phone number is listed, or the
posting says not to contact the employer, follow their instructions and wait to (hopefully)
hear back.

An email to follow-up

When sending a follow-up email message, put the title of the position you applied for and
your name in the subject line, so the hiring manager can see at a glance what the email is in
reference to. Begin your email with a polite salutation, using the hiring manager’s name.

If you are unsure of the hiring manager's gender, you can use their first and last name. Your
signature should include a business-letter closing, after thanking the employer for their
consideration.

Follow-up letters

If you are writing a paper letter to follow up with the hiring manager, follow standard
business-letter format. Start with the hiring manager’s name, title, and company address. Be
sure to include the date, and then begin your letter with a professional salutation and the
hiring manager’s name. Finish your letter by expressing your appreciation, using an
appropriate closing, and including your signature and contact information.

Follow-up calls

Importance of follow-up

It happens very often that during an interview, the panel member notices a weakness in your
technical ability on a certain aspect. A follow up letter then becomes your best chance to
reiterate your interest in the position and recap how you are willing to work on that one
weakness to suit your candidature for the position.

A follow up letter or thank you letter demonstrates 3 things in any candidate:

1.  Hunger for the job, and hence hunger for achieving something

2.  Good and open communication characteristics, a very important trait in any job at any
level

3.  Ability to accept one’s mistakes, and ability to learn and move forward.

The most important thing that you can do after an interview is to email/send a follow-up letter
to the people you interviewed with, specifically the main decision-maker.

Follow-up letters will keep you fresh in the mind of the interviewers and you will be viewed
far more favourably than those candidates who fail to do so.

A strong follow-up letter will make a connection with you and the interviewer, give you an
opportunity to ask more questions, remind the interviewer of your skills/qualifications, and
entice the interviewer to want to call you back for a second interview.

You should consider it mandatory to include an effective follow-up letter, specifically

addressed to the decision-maker, after every interview.