You thought your résumé was flawless when you sent it to employers. And you expected big results. Instead, you’ve had no interviews and no clue as to why you’re bombing in the job search.

Sure your résumé is perfect, but did you give your cover letters the same care? If your job search is going nowhere, there’s a good chance you didn’t.

You’re not the only one to make the mistake. Too often job seekers focus all their time and energy developing their résumé and hastily write a cover letter to accompany it. Savvy job seekers, however, know that a résumé is only as good as its cover letter. In fact, 60 percent of executives believe a cover letter is either as important as or more critical than a résumé, according to a nationwide survey by Accountemps.

To land a job in today’s competitive job market, you must know how to write an eye-catching cover letter. You must also know how to use a résumé and cover letter together to sell yourself to employers and recruiters.

“Your résumé and cover letter should work together in presenting you effectively to a prospective employer. The cover letter should draw attention to the most important information in the résumé—the information you want the reader to be certain to see,” says David Noble, Ph.D., author of “Gallery of Best Cover Letters,” Third Edition (JIST © 2007).

Noble offers the following five tips for connecting a cover letter to a résumé:

• If the intended reader of your résumé suggested that you send it, or if you have recently spoken with the person, say this in the first sentence of the cover letter.

• If someone else suggested you submit your résumé to the reader, mention that at or near the beginning of the cover letter.

• Include important information in a cover letter for which there is no room in the résumé.

• Think of the cover letter as a hook for your résumé. For example, your letter might refer specifically to the most important part of your résumé.

• Create a text or PDF version of your cover letter and résumé so that they can be customized as needed. Also, e-mail them in response to online ads or post them to online job databases.

While complementing one another, your résumé and cover letter should present two essential things all employers look for in candidates, Noble says. “Remember, résumés should show that you can do the work required, while your cover letter should show that you want to do the work required.”

Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers.