The Perfect Cover Letter: Why You Need One When Applying For Your Next Construction, Engineering or Environmental Position

Everything has been streamlined around the resume, but before you go the route that many career advisors are implying with tailoring your resume for each position you apply for, why not give a cover letter another look. Resumes basically state your skill sets and give a brief statement of your accomplishments. They do not give you the abilities to showcase your specific abilities and accomplishments as related to the position you are applying for.

Cover letters, especially for those in the construction profession, give the applicant an opportunity to go into detail about a particular accomplishment and tell a good story. You can direct a cover letter to the specific hiring manager, add personal details and/or elaborate on a project you were involved in. Engineers can cite particular projects that hone in on the requirements of the job. Environmentalists can talk about what resources they may have tapped to help save the environment or their contributions to a specific campaign.

Recruiters often admire the thought and effort put into composing a good cover letter, compared to an adjusted resume. With a cover letter you can state the reasons why you would be a perfect fit for the position. Resumes only showcase work experience and skill sets as a whole. In the construction industry, a well written cover letter can showcase the nuances of what the company should expect from you as an employee as it related to their organization. It also creates a picture of what you are capable of doing.

Engineering the perfect cover letter isn’t hard. In fact, it’s relatively easy to do. It is in the cover letter that allows potential employers to create the first impression of you, before reading the resume. The thought that your resume gets processed automatically should give you some indication of why a cover letter is still important. It should also be stated that a customized cover letter quite often is one of the only ways that engineers and construction professionals can make themselves stand out with potential employers. For most, but not all engineers and construction professionals, there are quite a number of positions they work at throughout their career. A good cover letter can emphasize the accomplishments at one job site or make a case for a required skill set that an employer is seeking.

Working in the construction, engineering or environmental industry today, you need more than a resume in today’s job market to standout. A cover letter will give you that advantage; combining a good cover letter with a good resume will increase your chances of being hired. For assistance in writing a cover letter, check out www.webuildresumes.com

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com . To learn more about Michael or to follow his Blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com