In this day and age of fewer and fewer jobs with more applicants it's more important than ever to stand out from the crowd.

Look at it from the stand point of the human resource professional or recruiter. They will look at maybe 20 applicants of which 7 appear to have the requisite experience and background. So how will they choose from these 7 applicants. Speaking from the point of view of a recruiter and business owner it was difficult to do. What if you were one of the 13 resumes that didn't rate an interview, where does that leave you?

The answer to that is:

Write a great cover letter . Let's talk about what a great cover letter is not.

Don't do these things in your cover letter:

Don't thank anyone, or seem like you are asking for or begging for an interview. You are not writing this letter to ask for an interview. You need to let the recruiter decide you get one. I'll show you how.

Don't talk about how you think you'd be "perfect for the job". Again, we will let them decide. I will show you how to get recruiters salivating to talk with you.

Do not ask for an interview. I say again do not ask for an interview.

Here is what you should talk about in your cover letter:

Talk about your major accomplishments. The most boring thing to read on this earth is a resume. If you have an interesting story about how you first entered your profession then share it in the first paragraph.

Explain why you are writing this cover letter. You are writing this letter because resumes are nothing more than a timeline. Of course, you should have a resume, but the cover letter will get you the interview.

Choose 3 or 4 jobs that you exceeded expectations and explain what the accomplishment was, brag a little bit, you must sell yourself. The entire letter should be written in the first person narrative, as if a recruiter asked you "tell me a little bit about yourself".

Don't write about every job you ever had, that's what the resume is for. Instead choose the highlights, and emphasize them.

Next, tie the whole thing together in a neat little bow by describing what all these companies had in common, as if they to had a role in your success. Do you see where I'm going with this? At this point the human resource professional or recruiter is absolutely salivating because they believe their company has the same things in common with the other companies you've worked for where you've accomplished so much.

Lastly, list 3 to 5 skills you are expert in then in the last sentence mention you'd be delighted to hear about any opportunities their company may have.

Finish just by signing with your name, phone number and email address. You are done watch the emails show up.