Purpose of Your Cover Letter
Your
cover letter is an important component of the application process. It serves as
a way for you to summarize your qualifications, state your interest in a
position, and stand out from other applicants. It is specific to each
opportunity you are pursuing.
Cover
letters should be well written and always accompanied by each resume you
send out unless otherwise specified. It is particularly important to
include a cover letter, if an objective is not listed on your resume, to be
clear on what position you are interested in.
Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter
Writing
a cover letter can be overwhelming. Focus your efforts and include content that
is concise, relevant, and appealing to potential employers.
Be purposeful
- While
every cover letter is different, effective cover letters demonstrate you
are a good fit for the position.
- Convey
your enthusiasm for the position and knowledge of the company.
- Provide support
and examples that showcase the skills and
competencies that are being sought.
- Focus
on your accomplishments and measurable results.
Follow standard business writing protocol
- Address
your cover letter to a specific person whenever possible. It may take
some resourcefulness on your part to identify the appropriate person,
but the letter will be better received.
- Write
clearly and concisely.
- Use
proper grammar and check for misspelled words.
- Limit
your letter to one page.
- Be
sure to include the date, an appropriate salutation, and closure with your
signature.
Do not mass produce
- Mass
produced cover letters are easy to detect. Be sure to relate your
specific skills and experiences to each indivdual position.
- Incorporate
information that reflects your knowledge of the company,
the industry, or the position.
- Consider
that employers are seeking to fill specific roles and are looking for
applicants that have the skills and qualities to succeed in that
role.
Structuring Your Cover Letter
Follow
these guidelines to ensure your cover letter is properly
structured.
Paragraph 1: Capture Attention
- In
your first paragraph, capture the reader's attention.
- Indicate
the position you are applying for and how you learned of the vacancy,
i.e. Did someone tell you about it? Did you see an ad or
website?
- Outline
the specific reasons why you are ideal for the position.
- Sell
yourself in paragraph 1. Do not wait until the second paragraph to
articulate why you are well qualified for the position.
Paragraph 2 & 3: Create Desire
- Describe yourself
as a serious candidate and one worth inviting for an interview. State the
hard details including your specific skills, history of
responsibility, success, etc.
- Think
about ways to reinforce an image of yourself that includes as many of the
desired qualities as possible.
- Show,
don’t tell. Remember, your goal is to set yourself apart from other
applicants. Do not just tell the employer you have a skill, provide
evidence. For example, do not just state you are “detail oriented”.
Give the reader an example of something in your work history that proves
that you are detail oriented.
- Refer
to your resume, but do not simply list the contents of it.
- Emphasize
how your variety of experiences are connected to the position
and will benefit the company.
Paragraph 4: Call for Action
- Use
a few lines to express your strong interest in the position and your
desire to discuss your application further in an interview.
No comments:
Post a Comment