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Resume cover letters are extremely important, though many jobseekers don't fully realize it. 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.

Put yourself in someone else's place and imagine that you have to sort through a bunch of different resumes. All of them are printed on decent white paper. They all boast of each applicant's skills and objectives.

Quite a few of them have letters, some of them very long. Does that sound overwhelming? Then set yourself apart. Write a cover letter that grasps the attention of the reader and gives them several reasons to turn to the next page.

But how do you begin? Look for examples of resume cover letters posted on the internet. You'll find cover letters available for all kinds of different jobs in several different formants. Use your favorite search engine to find them easily.

Now, if someone that the company or interviewer knows well has referred you and also gave you permission to use their name in your cover letter, do it! Employee or networking referrals can go a long way towards ensuring your resume gets considered.

Look over the job description carefully. Reference it in your cover letter, mentioning appropriate skills that make you a great candidate. It might be tempting to just repeat everything you wrote in your resume, but consider that this is a great chance to go even further. Remember the job description, and tell the readers 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!