10 Cardinal Rules of Cover Letter Writing

1. Tailor your letter as much as possible to the target reader and industry.
2. Talk more about what you can do for the prospective employer than about what they can do for you.
3. Convey focused career goals. Even if you'd be willing to take any job they'd offer you, don't say so.
4. Don't say anything negative about your employment situation or your life in general.
5. Cut to the chase -- don't ramble.
6. Don't make empty claims that aren't backed up with examples.
7. Don't write more than one page unless the prospective employer has asked for a detailed or extended cover letter.
8. Check, recheck and triple check your letter for typos and other errors.
9. Get other people's opinions of your letter before you send it.
10. Keep easily accessible copies of all letters you mail, fax or email along with a log of when letters were sent so that you can follow up on them.