Writing a good cover letter is one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks in our modern world. Most job applicants skip this process when potential employers don’t request one. If you want to stand out and increase your chances of success in each job application, you need to write a good cover letter. When applying for a job, you should always attach a cover letter regardless of whether the advertisers have requested it or not.
You shouldn’t send it only when the potential employer asks for it. So, why should you attach a cover letter when applying for a job? A cover letter helps the potential employer to see how your skills and experience align with what the organization wants.
Human resource managers will admit that the recruitment exercise always begins with a wide range of cover letters – the good and the ugly. Since most job applicants write poor cover letters, learning how to write a cover letter can help you get noticed by the recruiter. Here are the tips for writing cover letters that get you hired.
- Figure out why you are writing a cover letter
If you don’t know why you are writing a cover letter, you’ll likely go wrong. And you won’t get the job. You need to pay attention to such issues. For human resource managers, hiring the right candidate goes beyond reading the CV. Keep in mind that a CV is an overview of the qualifications, skills, and experience of candidates. Therefore, the CV does not always represent the fitness of a candidate. If it were, you’d never have to write a cover letter. You should always use a cover letter to paint a clear picture of yourself and your skills.
- The opening line
You can grab the recruiter’s attention by writing a simple opening sentence. You don’t have to have a grand opening line. Therefore, stop trying to be too creative in this section. Some of the best examples include:
- I’m writing to apply for the X position
- I’d like to be considered for the X position in your organization
Always keep in mind that simplicity is key in everything. Avoid using fancy or vague words. Be clear and precise.
- Avoid copy-pasting your CV
Most job applicants end up copy-pasting the contents of their CV in their cover letter by replacing most of the words with synonyms. The recruiter doesn’t expect you to copy the contents of your CV. However, most applicants end up doing it.
Instead of spending a lot of time dwelling on your experience, you should use your cover letter to show why you are suitable for the role. For example, if the job you are applying for requires the qualified candidate to be a calm, disciplined and hardworking person, you can narrate how you overcame a harsh upbringing or how you managed to keep yourself under control instead of following others.
The structure of your CV might not give room for such a narrative. However, the cover letter gives you a chance to show another side of yourself.
- Send your cover letter in the right format
You should always save and send your cover letter in PDF. This format opens on almost every device and keeps everything in one place. If you save your cover letter using other formats such as. dox, you risk having to appear disorderly on the recruiter’s computer. Apart from that, not all computers can open this format. You need to give your recruiter an easy time by converting all your documents to PDF. You can greatly increase your chances of success by using this simple tip.
- Instead of telling, show
Your cover letter needs to be interesting to read and engaging. It is an important document that helps you present factual information and enables the recruiter to know you better. Therefore, you should let your personality and creativity shine. Ensure that it’s visual by avoiding plain boring sentences. When you keep the hiring manager engaged, you’ll land your dream job easily.
- Focus on business
Since you care about getting this job, you should always put yourself in the organization’s shoes. Every organization is focused on hiring individuals who are serious about what they do. You should ensure that your cover letter reflects this. Instead of focusing too much on yourself, focus on what you can do for the company.
- Show that you are interested in the organization’s work
You should know everything about the organization you are interested to work with. Follow the organization and find out what’s happening every day. Such pieces of information will come in handy during your interview.
- Proofread your work
Proofreading is important. You don’t want the recruiter to read a cover letter that has lots of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. You can easily spot mistakes by printing them out and reading them aloud. If you cannot do this, you should consider finding cover letter writers for hire online.
- Keep it short
Hiring managers are busy. They’ve been reading cover letters and resumes for a long time. Therefore, they can easily make the right decision after reviewing your documents. If they see a cover letter that’s longer than one page, they probably won’t read it. Keep your cover letter short to increase your chances of success.
- End strongly
Conclude your cover letter as soon as possible. Ensure that all the stories that you narrate are relevant to the job post. When you share a perfect example, you don’t have to worry about explaining it further.
Writing a good cover letter is not a walk in the park. It requires a lot of time and energy to get it right. Always keep it short and only include persuasive content that is linked to the vacant post. Keep in touch with the organization to have an easy time during the interview.
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