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The importance of resume cover letters is often underestimated by jobseekers. A well-written cover letter can mean all the difference in the world, or at least become the deciding factor in whether your resume gets read or cast into the circular file.

Apart from just plain forgetting to write them, one of the most common cover letter mistakes is to use them to duplicate everything you already wrote in the resume. But, one really should look at the cover letter as a way to build upon the resume.

Imagine sitting at a desk with piles of resumes in front of you. All of them are printed on decent white paper. All of them are covered in objectives and skills.

Quite a few of them have letters, some of them very long. Does that sound overwhelming? Then set yourself apart. You want to write a cover letter that gets attention and gives persuasive reasons for the reader to look at your resume.

So where to start? You can find many examples of resume cover letters on the internet. You'll find cover letters available for all kinds of different jobs in several different formants. You can find them all by using your favorite search engine.

Of course, if someone well-known to the company or interviewer has referred you and given you permission to use their name in your cover letter, do so! You'll be using the power of networking referrals, which can go a long way in making sure that your resume gets serious consideration.

Next thing you need to do is study the job description. Write references to it and describe how your skills make you suited for the job. The easy thing to do would be to repeat everything that's on your resume, but this is a golden opportunity to take everything a step further. Use the job description to show the reader how your skills will benefit the company.

"What's in it for me?" Imagine that this is the very question that the interviewer is asking. The interview is more than likely thinking that exact thought when he or she is reading through a bunch of resume cover letters. If your answer sounds good, you'll get the interview!