Be positive. Don't complain about your boss or describe your present or previous work experience as "boring." Nobody wants to hire somebody with an attitude. Above all, don't sound like you're begging for a job. A hiring manager may wonder why you're so desperate.

Be confident, but not arrogant. Don't be negative or too humble. Tell them you're qualified for the job, but don't demand it. Don't profess to know more about the company than you really do. Explain why you find the company attractive (there must be some reason or you shouldn't be writing) and leave it at that.

Be polite and professional. You may be a comedian with your friends, but a potential employer should be treated with respect.

Be efficient. Don't waste space (and the reader's time) on unnecessary details. Respect the employer's time--make sure every sentence has something to do with explaining your interest in the company, illustrating how you'll fill the company's needs, and how you'll contact the company in the near future.

Type your letter, but beware of the dangers of word processing. If you send a similar letter to several companies, make sure that you change all customized statements accordingly; no company wants to read how much you'd like to work for their competitor. Carefully read each letter before you sign it.

Be available. Remember to tell the employer how to reach you. Give a phone number which will be reliably answered by either a person or an answering machine. If possible, include an e-mail address.

Do not leave the ball in the employer's court. Indicate what reaction you expect from your letter and how you will follow up. For example, don't end with "I look forward to hearing from you soon."

Proofread. Check carefully for grammar and spelling mistakes, then check again. Typos and grammatical errors say a lot about the kind of work you do. Don't depend entirely on the spell-check function of your word processor; if you use "there" for "their," for example, spell-check won't notice. Keep a dictionary handy for proper word usage and consult a style manual for grammar questions.

Sign it. If you forget this, the employer may feel like you've sent a form letter.

Package it nicely. Print your resume and cover letter on the same paper stock; the uniformity will look professional. Use only printers that produce neat, readable text with no stray marks or smudges. If possible, avoid using a dot-matrix printer or a manual type writer.

Keep one for yourself. Make a copy of each letter sent, and keep it for future reference.

What Experts Say About Cover Letters

"Because you can use your cover letter to highlight certain aspects of your resume, the same resume can be used to pursue different job opportunities. The beauty of the cover letter is that you can gear it to each particular company that is the recipient of your resume by stressing your most important qualification."
--ADELE LEWIS, The Best Resume for Scientists and Engineers

"... you need to make it easy for the employer to buy. You need to clearly state when you will be available to talk to the employer. Be specific: give telephone numbers where you can be reached both at work and off work. You could have a tremendous background and see yourself very well, but if the employer can't reach you, everything could be lost."
--LOLA M. COXFORD, Resume Writing Made Easy for High-Tech

"A resume without a cover letter is like an unannounced salesperson showing up at your door. If you are going to let in a perfect stranger, you at least want to see their credentials. This is exactly what a cover letter does--it introduces you, a total stranger, to the reader. It must be compelling, personable, and brief. It needs to specifically relate to the position in question. Remember you only have eight seconds to convince the reader to invite you in."
--BARBARA B. VINITSKY AND JANICE Y. BENJAMIN, How to Become Happily Employed

"No cover letter should carry the salutation: 'To whom it may concern.' It will concern no one if you don't personalize it. The surest way to get the information is to find the name in trade journals or in The Standard & Poor's Register, The Dun & Bradstreet Directory, or other directories. Failing all that, call the company and ask for the name of the appropriate person."
--KENNETH AND SHERYL DAWSON, Job Search, The Total System

"If there is a catch-22 situation in job hunting, it involves the cover letter. Even in situations where it is not requested, you should attach a cover letter to your resume. However, a review of the cover letter is one of the most common methods by which candidates are eliminated form the process. The cover letter is rarely anything but a liability, but you must include it because its absence is worse."
--JEFF B. SPECK, Hot Tips, Sneaky Tricks & Last-Ditch Tactics

"Poor grammar, bad punctuation, and misspelled words suggest that the applicant is either poorly educated or simply doesn't care about the impression created. The chances are unusually high that the employer is going to forgo reading the accompanying resume and quickly move on to the next job applicant."
--RICHARD H. BEATTY, The Perfect Cover Letter

*Information courtesy Microsoft Network