A successful cover letter should be specific and personal. It should be clean, neat laser copy, yet not mass generated. Each letter should refer to a specific person at a specific company and provide a specific next step that you will be taking.

A basic formula for cover letters is as follows:

• Standard business letter format - prospect name, title, company, and address - top left.
• Salutation (yes, it should be to a real person - take time to know who your target is).
• 1st paragraph - state your objective(s), i.e. applying for a specific position.
• 2nd paragraph - state two or three top skills, then follow with benefit(s) that you will provide to the company.
• 3rd paragraph - Give your target contact a specific action to take, i.e. contact you at his/her earliest convenience.

Use this checklist to ensure that your cover letter is complete:

• One page only and limited to three targeted paragraphs
• With full spell & grammar check twice
• Written to someone specific, with the name and title spelled correctly
• Company name and address are correct and complete
• Three focused paragraphs (focused on the reader's needs, not yours)
• Closes with "Sincerely,"- anything else can be too chummy
• Includes a P.S. for emphasis
• Final step: do not forget to follow up, or all the other steps will be in vain!