Any good job hunter needs a resume package. The cover letter and resume always go together and do the same basic thing in slightly different ways. A job hunter without both of them will probably not get very far in the search for a good career position. 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what these crucial documents should do for you. The first part, the cover letter, is a short one page letter consisting of three or four paragraphs. It serves as an introduction to the resume. It is the part that will always be seen by the gatekeeper. 

The second part is the resume itself. Many job hunters make the mistake of thinking they can just leave a resume without a cover letter. That is like putting on a suit and tie, but forgetting the shirt or the pants. 

They are a package and they go together. 

The resume itself may be in either functional or chronological format. The functional format concentrates on skills. The chronological format concentrates on employment listings. The most effective resumes use elements of both formats to create a combination resume that gets results. It should be laid out in a graphically appealing style, with adequate use of white space, bullet points to draw attention to important parts, and conservative fonts used. While you will occasionally bold face or italicize a font to draw attention to a point or break up a large section of type, changing fonts often makes it hard to read, so stick with one basic font. Also never go smaller than ten point type, and if possible stick with twelve or eleven point. Those sizes are easier to read. 

If your cover letter and resume are in a small type and hard to read, they simply will not be read, and will not help you. 

Many job seekers wonder how they should present the resume package to the decision maker. There are several acceptable methods. If mailing it, use a large nine by twelve white envelope to avoid folding your materials. The white envelopes look nicer than the tan manila commonly used in business. Also large envelopes are generally the first thing people open when they get their mail. If not the first then they may save the large envelope for last. Since people tend to remember the first and the last – the alpha and the omega – while forgetting much of what is in the middle, either first or last is a good thing. 

If you are hand delivering your documents stop by an office supply shop and pick up a clear plastic folder with a pressure binder spine and place your cover letter and resume in it. It makes a great presentation and will complement it perfectly. Use these tools well and you are on your way.

Cover letters are a very important part of your presentation, whether you're a student in college or a candidate applying for a job. While there is virtually no limit to the different designs you can use with your cover letter, there are some general guidelines you will want to apply to make sure it is professional. It is first important to make sure your cover letter has an excellent appearance. The paper size used for cover letters is generally 8 and 1/2 by 11 inches.

While the color white is almost always used, other acceptable colors include light beige. The cover letter should always be typed on a high quality typewriter, and if you are using a computer, it should be printed out on a printer which is laser based. Using an old typewriter or dot matrix printer will reduce the quality of your resume, even if it is well written. It is also important to make sure your cover letters are never produced in mass. Each one should be unique, and should target the specific company to which you are applying for employment.

It is also important to make sure you use the correct format. For most tasks, the best format is the business correspondence cover letter. If you're not sure what it looks like, you can go online to look at different examples. These examples can give you ideas for how you want your cover letters to be designed. When you send your cover letter to a potential employee, if it is impersonal, it will likely be thrown in the trash. Anyone can mass produce a cover letter or resume. Taking the time to tailor you work towards a specific individual will impress them, and they will be much more likely to look over your resume.

Make sure you learn the name of the person or organization that you're sending your cover letter to. The name must always be spelled correctly. If you have had a good interview with a company, and you send a follow up letter with incorrect spelling, it can ruin your chances of getting hired. When you write your letter, explain how you learned of the company and why you are interested in working for them. You should also explain what type of position you're interested in.

The next thing you want to do is to demonstrate your qualifications for the job. It is best to write two powerful sentences explaining why you have the necessary skills to perform the job you're interested in. After this you will want to let the potential employer know that your resume is enclosed. It is also important to make sure you don't end the letter incorrectly. Many people make the mistake of providing their number and asking the potential employer to call them if they're interested.

A better way to end the letter is by giving the potential employer your number and informing them that you will be calling them. What this does is tell the employer you are persistent, and will take the initiative. It says you will continue contacting them until you get a response. This is the type of impression you want to make.

Cover letter writing is almost as important a skill for a job seeker to learn as resume writing.  The cover letter accompanies the resume at all times as the primary support document.  Whether you use traditional mail, email, faxing, or another type of electronic submission, this should always be sent with the resume.  There are, of course, other tools you’ll use when job seeking.  Your cover letter and resume come first of course, followed by follow-up letters, thank-you letters for after the interview, reference sheets, salary histories, and job acceptance letters.  If you have good cover letter writing skills, and good resume writing skills, the other written tools should be a snap to compose.

Your goal in this is to get the attention of the hiring manager, just as it is with resume writing.  

The method and format are a little different however.  Your resume will cover all, or most of your professional career, and will be from one to two pages.  Your cover letter will be a very brief page serving as an introduction to the resume.  Cover letter writing style must be direct, to the point, and able to grab the attention of the reader quickly, with a goal of making the reader want to read the attached resume.

Many people, when engaged in this type of writing, have a tendency to say too much.  

Good cover letter writing is short and punchy, and will take two or three key points from the resume and emphasize them.  The old adage “tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” holds true in both resume writing and cover letter writing.

As an example, let’s assume that you are a materials handling manager for a defense contractor, seeking another position.  In your line of work the buzz words are MRP, lean manufacturing, ISO 9000, and cost savings.  

Your writing efforts should reflect these buzz words to show your value to your current employer and any future employers.  Your resume will go into more detail about how you accomplished these goals.  The cover letter will simply point out to the hiring manager that you accomplished them.    

An example of this would be two bulleted paragraphs in the body of the letter that say...

* Experienced in  quality assurance and quality control, MRP, ISO 9000, QS 9000, and Lean Manufacturing.

* Demonstrated results in saving significant money for employers through cost savings, inventory level reductions, and on-time supplier delivery.

The hiring manager, according to many surveys, devotes only about fifteen seconds to each resume and cover letter he or she reviews.  With that in mind your writing skills need to be top notch to get this person to look at your resume.  

Your resume writing skills need to be just as good to get the reader to want to grant you an interview.  In turn, your interviewing skills need to be excellent to get the hiring manager to offer you the position.  This long, and hopefully positive chain of events begins with good cover letter writing skills and ends with job satisfaction and a nice paycheck.

There is a lot riding on having that perfect resume and that perfect cover letter. It could mean the difference that perfect job or a mediocre job that you aren'’t really that happy at. It’s no wonder that the pressure of writing a good resume and cover letter is a little intimating to job hunters everywhere. Millions of job hunters turn to books promising to provide them with the tools to write that perfect resume. People spend hundreds of dollars on computer software that is guaranteed to produce a resume and cover letter that will get them hired to the job of their choice. For those who don’t’ want to spend money there is a whole network of free samples and articles right at their fingertips every time they log into the internet. Some people actually become obsessed with finding the perfect sample of what their resume and cover letter should be like.

While these job hunters are headed in the right direction, something that needs to be kept in mind is it’s a strong and personalized cover letter that will get them that interview. As great as these samples might sound, people should not be tempted to pass them off as their own cover letters. Each cover letter needs to be customized to the position and the company they are applying for.

A resume can be a little easier to write than a cover letter. Essentially a resume is a history of your work experience. It’s not uncommon to have only one resume on file instead of multiple ones, because let’s face it there is only so many ways you can list your experience. You can use the same resume to apply to company ABC and company XYZ. A good resume simply shows employers that you have the skills and experience that meet their criteria. The key to a good resume is to let your abilities and skills shine through.

However it’s not advisable to use the exact same cover letter for both companies because as we all know, no two jobs are alike. In fact no two companies are alike. Each company comes with its own sets of needs and you cover letter needs to state how you meet their specific needs. Why you might be a perfect match for one company might not hold true to another. Because of this it’s unadvisable to use a sample cover letter that you might find online.

That’s not to say using these examples you find as a guideline or even “tweaking” the samples to make it fit YOUR skills, YOUR personality, and show that YOU understand what the company is looking for is a bad idea. In fact these types of resumes and cover letters are very specific and could help demonstrate that you fully understand the company’s needs. Even more importantly they could help you get across the point that you are a perfect match for them.

There are many avenues for you to pursue while looking for a resume and cover letter. As was mentioned before, you can always hire someone to help you write your resume and cover letter. Or even better they will write your resume and cover letter for you. This is a costly service though and not one that I would recommend. You don’t really know these people, you only spend a small amount of time with them so why trust them with the most important tools you need for a job.

An easier less expensive route is to check out your local book store. There is usually a whole section dedicated to books geared toward people looking for help writing that perfect resume. While these books will offer samples, they also arm you with the knowledge you need to write a good resume and cover letter yourself. To me this is the greatest advantage with a how to book, it educates you. You can’t put on price on that sort of education.

Lastly, the easiest way to look for resume and cover letter samples is your computer. Walk into any computer software shop and you will find a variety of programs that will help you with your resume. It’s almost like having a professional resume maker but without the expensive cost. These programs guide you step by step through the process. If you really don’t want spend the money on software, don’t worry. There are plenty of sites dedicated to helping you write that perfect resume. Most of the time they will cost you either a small subscription fee or nothing at all. The only downside to this is that sometimes they don’t go into as much detail as say a book would. They are not always as organized as a book would be either.

As long as you are looking for resume and cover letters samples to assist you in your job search, which can only benefit you. However looking for them to copy and pass off on your own could mean sudden death in the job hunt.