Hi Aswathi,

While you may be concerned about your eight month gap, it isn't actually that long given the large number of people who have been unemployed due to the recent recession. You certainly don't want to mention your gap in a cover letter, only if it happens to come up in an interview.

Your cover letter should be three short paragraphs. The first paragraph mentiones something specific about the company you are applying to so that you show that you have done research on the company. The second paragraph consists of 2-3 brief bullets describing the specific experience or accomplishments you have had that show that you are a fit for the job. The third paragraph is a brief follow-up paragraph. Be sure to put your address, phone number and email address in your cover letter. If you don't have the person's name, just leave it blank instead of saying "To Whom it May Concern." Do reference the title of the position and the assigned number if there is one.

Hope this helps!

Take care,

Julie