Your cover letter is, in some ways, even more important than your resume. If you do not write an effective cover letter, you may soon find that no one is even taking the time to look at your resume. In today’s competitive job market, there are so many people applying for jobs that often employers are only reviewing the applications that really stand out. And, in many cases, this means only the applications with really stellar cover letters…

Here are three ways to make sure that your cover letter makes an impression:

1. Don’t be afraid to brag
   Your cover letter is supposed to show how great you are, so make sure that it does. Now is not the time to be humble. You need to make sure that everyone understands just how good your accomplishments are.
    
2. Relate yourself to the job
   Review the job listing and make sure that you tell the reader exactly why your accomplishments mean that you fit their requirements to a “T.” Just bragging is not enough; for each item that you list on your roster of accomplishment, make it clear why that item should matter to your future employers.
    
3. Be professional!
   Take the time to format your letter, check spelling and punctuation and make sure that your syntax is correct and appropriate. While it may be okay to use industry jargon, avoid slang, contractions and conversational language.

Of course, your cover letter should not spend a lot of time doing anything other than telling the reader why they cannot afford to let you slip away. Save your life history for another day. Cover letters have to be short in order to get attention, so limit yourself to one or maybe two pages at maximum. You will find that with a good cover letter, your foot is already in the door!