Have you applied to multiple jobs but didn’t get any response? or planning to apply for your dream position? You must have prepared your resume but you know what, resume only cannot not do wonders. It is the cover letter that makes your application stand out.
I am sure you must be wondering how to write a cover letter. Do not worry, We have performed an extensive research and collected all the helpful and practical techniques of writing a cover letter.
Keep reading.This article is a complete guide on:
What is a cover letter and its importance in job application?
What are the essential elements of a cover letter?
Best ways of writing a perfect cover letter
Some helpful writing tips
A cover letter is one page document that is attached to resume and submitted as a part of job application. It is written so beautifully that entices the hiring manger’s interest. It explains why a person is a perfect fit for a particular job.
A best cover letter includes a brief summary of one’s personality and interests.It includes all your career accomplishments. It also contains motivation for your upcoming journey. It makes a strong positive impression on employers.
Make sure your cover letter should not be same to your resume. Resume usually contain all the factual and concise information whwereas a cover letter is an expanded information and a representation of your personality. Your cover letter should not replace your resume but provide support to your CV or resume.
Usually an effective cover letter is 250-450 words long. It should be the length of the summary of a resume. It should not exceed one page.
Most of the companies and hiring managers ask for the cover letter. We suggest you to attach it even if it is not mentioned in the job advertisement, However, avoid it, if it is clearly mentioned not to attach.
cover letter adds value to your job application. It is very purposeful document attached to you resume.
All these benefits make cover letter worth attaching document with your application.
Uptil now, you must be aware of what is a cover letter and why it is so important? Its a high time to learn the best practices for writing an effective cover letter.
A well crafted cover letter requires a hardwork and effort of collecting valueable information and data. This is not only limited to collection of data, some other important factors also need to be considered before writing a cover letter, which are:
Perform Research About Company
Before you start writing, research extensively about the company and particulary the job you are applying for. Look for the company’s profile on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Read the job description carefully twice or thrice. This will help you in customization of your cover letter that performs best compared to the general one.
Researching about a company culture and environment will help you decide the writing style and tone whether it should be creative, informal or formal.
Contact HR of the company
Try to contact the HR directly or any other person in the company through cold emailing or LinkedIn message. You may or may not get any response but this method is still worth it. If you get any response from them, you can mention their reference iny your cover letter that will make it more reliable and trustworthy.
Add Reference
Mention briefly where you have heard about this job from. If it is through any personal contact, try to mention the person name. If this is not so, add reference to the relevant social media platform. Slightly jote down any particular or specific instructionyou have read in the job description.
Recall Experiences
Recall all your experiences, skills, talents, accomplishments, and roughly note thwm down on a paper. Analyze how they help the company and make you a perfect fit for the position.
Know About Hiring Manager
Try to know about hiring manager, if he is a specific person, address him by his name. If not, use a generalized yet respectable address like dear hiring manager. You can get HR information from company’s official handles like websire or linkedIn account.
Cover letter format or style plays an important role in your selection. They are the official buisness letters.
If this is you first time writing a cover letter, you may get confused. Do not panic, there is no official cover letter pattern. However, Our team of experts have performed multiple experiments and concluded a tried-and-tested format. Let’s have a look;
This section contains all the basic contact information.
This includes a very short salutation to the hiring manager.
This section contains a hook statement that grabs the readers’ attention and make them agreed to read further.
Body contains all the relevant information that highlights why you are a suitable fit for a company and how your company can benefit you.
This last paragraph concludes all the information shortly and gives a clear call to action.
This is the formal regarding section at the the end of the cover letter.
Also Read: 24 Practical Tips For Zoom Interview
Uptil now, you are aware of the mostly used and perfect format of a cover letter. Let’s have a look at some of the practical ways to write a cover letter.
1. Select a right cover letter template
A good cover letter is all about impressing the hiring manager whether it should be through visual template or through creative writing. A well-formatted and carefully written cover letter performs the best. You can choose above mentioned format without any hestation.
2. Start with the Header
The cover letter header starts with the basic information details that include
Make sure that you add all the correct and professional details here. You can also add your social media profiles (professional accounts) or personal websites. They may add value to you cover letter. Do not add your unprofessional email in this section.
3. Greet The hiring manager
Once you are done with providing all the contact information. Now start your cover letter by addressing the hiring manager. This is the very first thing that the hiring manager reads.Make the address more captivating and engaging. Therefore, it is always suggested to start with the name of hiring manager.
Seeing his/her own name will ensure the personalization of the letter. It will make them feel personal and letter written specifically for them. Start like,
You can find out the manager name by visiting the company website or social media profile. This will help you boost the performance of your letter. However, if it is not possible, start like “dear hiring manager”. Do not address like “dear sir or madam” until you are not sure of the gender. You can start like,
4. Start With Captivative Introduction
You must have heard these wise words atleast once in your life that “first impression is the last impression” or “first impression matters”. This is the most important rule you need to apply in your cover letter. Start with attention grabbing sentences in the introduction.
It is of no doubt that employer gets hundreds and thousands of cover letters and most probably he don’t find any time to read ever single letter from start to end.Therefore, you must have to grab the reader’s attention by adding valuable and attention seeking content in the introduction.
Do not start general. Add some of your relevant accomplishments like your past experince and the benefit a company got from your skills in the introduction paragraph. For example,
My name is John, I have done MBA from XYZ university. I am a sales manager. I can benefit you. (wrong)
This is John, Working as sales manager in XYZ company, I have generated 2000$ income in past month. I can also help you in exceeding your monthly income goals. (Right)
5. Write A Comprehensive Body
Once you have finalized the introduction, now its the high time to write a compelling body of the letter. This section must be divided into two categories:
This is the second paragraph of the cover letter. This is the exact place where you mention your past experiences and professional skills to convince the HR that you are a perfect fir for this position. Make sure all the information and experiences you are adding must be relevant for the job position announced.
For Example, If the company needs a digital marketer. You must have you mention your past expeirence as digital marketer, the growth you produced and the reach you got for the company social media profiles. All these factors will add credibility to your cover letter.
Only adding your experiences, personal and professional skills is not enough. You need to make sure that you are a good fit for the company as well. This should be done in the third paragraph of the letter. Recruiter does not prefer to hire a person who cannot adjust in their environment.
Research thoroughly about the company culture. Read every thing on the company website and then relate it with yourself i the letter. This will make your letter more personalized and interesting for the HR Manager.
6. Conclude With A Strong Call To Action
This is the last and concluding paragraph of the letter. You can mention anything that is left. It would be nice if you are courteous enough and thank the manager for his time. Use a single call to action sentence at the end of a conclusion paragraph. Do not add pity-feeling or sympathy sentences in it.
7. End With Right Formal Conclusion
After conclusion, add a formal goodbye to the cover letter. Some of the most commonly used examples are,
These were some of the helpful techniques to write an effective cover letter. Make sure to proofread and double check it before submitting.
Write Enthusiastically In The Opening. Do not start casually. Put your efforts in the opening of a letter. Show your interest to HR manager. Show Motivation In Your Writing.This will increase the chances of your selection.
Highlight your personality by adding your personal vaues in a letter. Demonstrate your personal skills clearly.
Focus on writing tone and style depending on the company culture and work environment. If it is more towards formal side like bank, go for official writing tone. whereas , if it is something related to designing, opt for informal or creative writing tone.
Keep it concise and short. Don’t exaggerate.
Add Postscript which includes something very eyes catchy and impressive about your career. It may or may not related to the job description.
Get it checked by an expert. This will highlight your mistakes in your letter.
These techniques will help you write an effective cover letter. You can also look for some best performing cover letter templates online. However, if you are not feeling confident or do not find enough time, ask our cheap resume writers. They will write you a best cover letter in no time. Consult our team and leave the rest on professionals.
ResumeWritingWorld offers premium resume writing services, helping you secure the job you deserve. Our expert writers share valuable insights on crafting ATS-optimized resumes, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and writing compelling cover letters. The blog also offers guidance on interview preparation and navigating the job market, helping you achieve career success.
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