PLACEMENTWORLD has devised 10 questions to make sure you have not forgotten anything important before sending out your cover letter.

1. Have you proofread your letter at least 3 times for grammatical, spelling and typographical errors?

2. Is the letter addressed to a specific person? Have you taken care to put the correct title and spell the person's name correctly?

3. Have you signed the letter in blue or black ink?

4. Is your letter confined to one page and not more than three to five short paragraphs?

5. Have you highlighted your strengths in the second or third paragraph using bullet points?

6. Does the cover letter focus on the needs of the employer and not on your own requirements, such as money or flexible hours?

7. Do you have a copy of the cover letter for your own records?

8. If salary information was specifically asked for, have you included it? (There is no need to mention salary, if it is not asked for.)

9. Have you included your resume? Have you placed it behind the cover letter without clips or staples and folded it neatly in thirds to fit into a standard size envelope?

10. And last but not the least, because it is the number one thing people forget to do: Have you signed your name using blue or black ink?