A cover letter can be the most important piece of the application process. Read this blog to get the best tips for the best cover letter
Cover Letters give you the opportunity to introduce yourself, highlight your skills and qualifications, and showcase your potential to employers. In these days, employers almost always require them as part of the application process, so it is important to have a standout one. Here are some tips to help you write a strong cover letter.
What do Cover Letters consist of?
A Header: This is where you address the letter. You will want to include your information like your name, address, and contact information first. Then add the date you are submitting your letter. Lastly, address the company or the person in charge of hiring. Addressing the letter is important. If you can, try to look on the job description or the company’s website to find the person in charge of hiring. If you can address it to a specific person, it makes it more personal and shows you did research into the company.
An Opening Paragraph: Here you will want to state your interest in the position along with where you heard of the job. It is also good to include your interest in the company and why you want to work there. This shows that you have researched the organization and understand what they value. Then include your strongest qualifications and skills that you can further showcase in the next paragraph.
Body Paragraphs: You will want to go into more detail here about the skills and qualifications you mentioned in the opening paragraph. Give examples of previous scenarios where you gained experience or utilized some of the skills they listed. Make sure these are situations that make you stand out and fit in to the kind of skills and experience the job listing mentioned. You want to be very specific here. This section can be 1 to 2 paragraphs.
A Closing Paragraph and Signoff: Here you will summarize why you are a good fit for the role you are applying for, thank the reader for their time, and then mention an interest in an interview. Then you want to make sure to include your name at the bottom.
Click here to watch a video that goes more in-depth with details and examples of what you want to include in the different sections.
Other Helpful Tips:
Format The Letter Correctly
You will want to make sure your letter looks professional and easy to read. Choose a font like Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica. These fonts are easy to read both on a computer and on paper. Using 10-12pt font is considered professional for a cover letter, just keep your letter concise to one page. Always make sure to proofread your letter or have someone else look at it to make sure the grammar and spelling is correct. Lastly, you will want to save your document as a PDF so that it is easily accessible for the employers.
Research The Organization
It is important to do some research when writing your cover letter. Check out their website and their social medias if they have any. You will want to look into the company. Look into the values of the company, the kind of work they do, and some of their accomplishments. Not only will this help you make a good impression with the employers because it shows you took time to learn about them, but you will also gain more insight and can get a better idea if the job or company is a good fit for you.
Personalize The Wording
It is important to make sure you use words and language to match the wording in job the description when writing your cover letter. If they list certain skills and qualifications in the job description, you will want to highlight those in your letter. This shows that you read the description and are serious about the job. This will increase the chances of your letter being seen as well as showcase that you have the skillset they are looking for. If you’re going to apply to multiple positions, you will want to create a different cover letter for each position you are applying for. This doesn’t mean you have to write each one from scratch, but you will want to edit the letters to match the language for each job description and address them to the appropriate person.
If you want some assistance with your cover letter or have other needs with your job search, Mary Rigg is here for you. Employment coaches are available to help you with Resumes and cover letters, Interviewing skills, and Online job search strategies among other things.
Sources
https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/coverletters/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cover-letter