* Read the article about the importance of writing a cover letter when applying for a job, and answer the following 6 questions. * For each question 1-6, mark one letter (A, B, C or D). Writing an Effective Cover Letter When you apply for a new job, the first thing most people think of is getting their CV right. The part of the application process they tend to overlook the cover letter or email. Employers read your cover letter before your CV and they only read the CV if your cover letter makes a good first impression. An effective cover letter is your shop window. It grabs the employer’s attention, provokes interest and creates a desire to meet the candidate. In other words, your cover letter is all about persuasion and it needs the same level of preparation you would give to your CV. Before you start writing, research the company you are writing to and know exactly what they do. In this day and age, most companies are involved in more than one type of business so don't assume you already know what they produce or provide. Consider the role that you are applying for and identify the essential skills that will be required and what matching skills you have. The key point here is to tailor your cover letter to the company and to use it to demonstrate that you have done your homework and know what the employer wants in an employee. When it comes to putting pen to paper, follow standard conventions in letter or email writing. Start with Dear... It you don't have the name of the actual person you are writing to, then use Dear Sir or Madam, but it would make a much better impression if you could contact the company’s human resources department and find out the name of the actual person whom you'd be writing to. Writing to the person directly can make an immediate impact on him or her. With regard to length, you should be able to give your reasons for writing, your motivation for wanting the job, and the highlighted areas of your relevant experience, within three paragraphs. The same rules more or less apply to an email. Despite the fact that we often think of an email as being less formal than a letter, you would still need to write in a businesslike manner. Also, don't take shortcuts when it comes to checking for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. A lack of detail and accuracy in your email will encourage many readers to click delete. Perhaps the hardest part of writing the cover letter is the need to convince the reader that you can bring something useful to the company. There is a danger that you might oversell yourself or even write unsubstantiated statements such as I'm the perfect candidate for this role! What you should do instead, is to focus on the skills you have and explain why you think they match the needs of the employer. No one wants to work with a show-off so don' t give that impression in your writing. Finally, writing a speculative cover letter with a CV attached and asking a company if they have any vacancies can sometimes pay off. This is especially true if you read about the company in the news and they are opening a new branch or expanding in some way, for example. Such news can often mean that they are about to recruit. By explaining this in your cover letter, you are demonstrating evidence of initiative. Although the company might not have immediate openings, they will often keep your CV on files as someone worth contacting in the future. 1. In the first paragraph, the writer recommends that a cover letter should be