Every now and then, you'll run across an ad asking for a faxed cover letter and resume. Or, you may just want to boost your application's appearance without the delay that snail mail may cause. In any case, when you fax a cover letter, you should write it just like a letter you would mail, with a few minor modifications. Read on to learn more.

Prepare a Cover Letter to Send by Fax

Write your cover letter on plain white paper, so that it transmits cleanly through a fax machine. If you are faxing directly from the computer, keep your template clean and simple.

Keep black lines and extra graphics to a minimum. To keep the quality of your cover letter and resumé clean enough to read when printed from a fax machine, you do not want to add too much clutter.

Use a slightly larger font than you would when mailing your cover letter. Keep it about at 12 points to avoid making your letter appear comical.

Number your pages and keep the styles similar so the cover letter and resume are not separated. You can use your cover letter as the top sheet, without an additional fax cover, but be sure to note the total number of pages you've sent. If you choose to use a fax cover, write just a brief note stating you're sending a cover letter and resumé.

Send a test fax to yourself, so you can see how well your cover letter and resume transmit.

Write a Quick Cover Letter

Use a standard business letter format for your cover letter. Be sure to include complete contact information for both the person you are sending the fax to and yourself.

Keep your cover letter between 3 to 5 paragraphs. The first paragraph should introduce you, the last should provide a call to action for the employer to contact you and the paragraphs in between should sell your experience.

Draw attention to your cover letter with a strong first paragraph. Let the reader know you've done your research and exactly why you think the job is for you.