Anytime you submit a resume, you need to find a way to make it stand out. That starts with a cover letter. A cover letter is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will look at before looking at your resume. It’s your chance to make a positive impression and get called for an interview.
What should a cover letter consist of? Read on to find out:
Do Some Legwork Before Writing
The first thing you need to do is research the position and the organization where you plan to apply. You need to have some understanding of what the company is looking for.
Resumes and cover letters are scanned to see if there’s a match between the job posting and applicant. You want to identify the keywords that you can use later in your cover letter and resume.
You should also contact the company to find out who the hiring manager is. Starting your letter with “Dear Sir or Madam” won’t make a positive impression.
Contact Information
Just like any professional letter, you need to have contact information. At the top left-hand side of the page, fill in the hiring manager’s name, company, and address like you’re going to mail it.
Follow that up with the date and your contact information – name and address.
Why This Job?
What is it about this particular position that made you apply for it? That’s what you want to convey in the introduction. Maybe the company has a great reputation or this job was appealing for another reason.
This section should be between 2-3 sentences.
A Little Bit About Yourself
What can you bring to the company you want to work for? A professional bio that’s tailored for the position will demonstrate that you are a great fit for the job.
In this section, you want to use the keywords that you identified earlier in your research.
You can look at a professional bio example to see how you can craft your own bio.
Closing
In closing, you want to reiterate your interest and excitement for the position. You also want to end with a call to action. State that you will follow up with them in a specified time frame. Of course, make sure that you do what you say.
Back It up With a Social Media Presence
If you want to cover all of your bases, you’ll want to check your social media accounts, too. Hiring managers and recruiters will often decide who to call for an interview based on social media accounts.
This is especially important if you plan to apply for a marketing job. People want to see that you’re active and up to speed with creating conversations online.
If you want to get the attention of recruiters, you need to make sure you have a strong cover a letter.
What should a cover letter consist of? It should be addressed to the hiring manager. You need to explain why you’re excited to apply for the position. You also have to show that your experience is a good fit for the company and you should be interviewed.
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