8 tips to write the perfect cover letter.

In my previous blog ‘Five important tips for resume writing!’, I tried to explain and give tips for resume writing. Now let us understand how to create a cover letter or a job application.

It is always a good idea if you are sharing or submitting your resume for any job role, you should introduce yourself and showcase your expertise in brief. A cover letter helps you to expand upon your achievements and introduces your passion and interest for the job role. It also helps the hiring manager to know about your passion, skills, and personal interest in the job. Although creating a cover letter is not important but having it is not a waste. Not every organization asks for your cover letter but there are some organizations that do ask for it.

A cover letter is a one-page document that introduces the jobseeker’s professional skills, work history, and personal interest in applying for the job.

You can say a cover letter can be a supplement to your resume, but it cannot be a replacement, hence do not just repeat everything which is mentioned in your resume. In the cover letter, you should just describe how efficient and passionate you are about the role you are applying for.

Though we all are not a very good writer or some maybe writing the cover letter for the first time, we just need to follow some simple tried and tested format to write the perfect cover letter:

• Header — Input contact information
• Greeting the hiring manager
• Opening paragraph — Grab the reader’s attention with 2–3 of your top achievements
• The second paragraph — Explain why you’re the perfect candidate for the job
• Third paragraph — Explain why you’re a good match for the company
• Formal closing

While greeting the Hiring manager, if you know the name better you use their name like ‘Dear Ms. Jane,’ or Dear Mr. Matthews’ etc. But in case you don’t know who is the hiring manager then try to find it out through LinkedIn or Company’s team page or even you can call the company and ask the recruiter about it. If still, you are unable to find out you can use greeting as Dear Sales/Recruitment/IT Team Hiring Manager, Dear Hiring Manager, Dear [xyz] company team, or To whom it may concern.

Please avoid using Dear Sir or Ma’am.

The cover letter’s main aim is to catch an employer’s interest and convince him to read through your resume and call you for an interview. Here are tried and tested tips on how you could write the perfect cover letter for any job:

1. Your opening line should be attractive and memorable.

Most of the time job seekers make an opening with a very common phrase or very cliche. Statements like– “Please accept my application to the job you posted” or “This is a reply to the position you advertised” are just common. These lines won’t grab the attention of any employer. The case is, your cover letter must stand out. It is your sales pitch sans the pushy or needy tone.

Let us take this example, ”With 5 years of goal-oriented experience in finding best talents for IT and Non-IT sectors in the organizations and I am offering…”. Here in this example, we are to the point and already address the need of the employer. It goes with a clear message with its purpose: you are applying for the position.

1. It’s is not your resume’s narrative.

A cover letter is to showcase your strength, abilities, and offering to the position. It is not your resume so you should avoid explaining your resume in prose format. A resume is a detailed document but a cover letter is a letter you are writing to the hiring manager where you should be to the point and very clear on the purpose of your interest in the job you are applying for. Also, a very long cover letter would be harder to read. What you should include in the letter is information that could provide additional insight into your application.

1. Mention the skills that you have for the position.

You should add or highlight the skills which you have for the position you have applied for. Although it is not necessary to put all your credential and skills, however, you must highlight your skills and credibility which makes you perfect for the position or job you are applying for. You can also explain how your skills and expertise made difference to the companies you have previously worked with. Employers love to see some stats on your resume so here’s the chance to put some numbers or ratio to show or demonstrate your achievements, for example, “Used various channels like Job boards like Jobsite, CWJobs, Reed and social/professional platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find talents which lead to hiring 150 candidates in 2020 which is 20% more than hiring done in the year 2019.” here in this example, It is demonstrated that how candidates have been sourced for hiring and also got an insight about the hiring capabilities through the stats. This will surely entice the hiring manager to look through your resume and call you for the interview.

1. Don’t use bullet points to show your skills or credibility.

Bullets can shorten your resume, but a paragraph can help your employer gain insight into how you understand the job. If you are writing it into prose format, it helps you to explain the process and it will be easy for an employer to understand what process you followed and how you have used your abilities to achieve your goals.

1. State something positive about the company you have applied for.

State something positive and express your interest to work with the company where you are applying for the job. Explain why you want to join their company and why the company attracts you that you have high regard for them. Don’t overdo but little flattery can help you a bit.

1. Keep it short and concise.

Your cover letter should not be too long. It should be short, concise, and to the point. Make sure it should not exceed more than one page. As previously mentioned, don’t make your letter a narrative of your resume. Keep in mind that the cover letter is not intended to explain everything about you; it just needs to attract the employer and let him take a close look at your application.

1. Close your letter in a professional manner.

Although you express your interest in applying for the job, you don’t want the employer to get the impression that you’re desperate for the job. A great opening is required, but the right closing is equally important. In some cases, it’s the inadequate closing that beats the candidate:

“Thank you very much for considering my application. I promise that you will only have the best from me once I get accepted for the job.”

“Thank you very much for considering me for the job. This application is very important to me, and it will definitely contribute to my personal development.”

Here’s an example of a quality closing:

“I have attached my resume for your review. Thank you very much and I hope this merits your favorable response.”

1. Make your letter readable.

Make sure you use clear fonts (fancy fonts such as freestyle won’t do you any gain). Use clean, white, A4-sized paper. Leave sufficient space around the margins of the page and between each section and paragraph. Don’t submit photocopied or marked letters– always keep it neat. Remember– even the physical form of the letter speaks for you.

While there’s no single template that can give a perfect cover letter, practicing would positively profit you in creating a cover letter that works unquestionably for you. Make rough drafts first, so that you can have your thoughts formed. Have another person examine your letter, and take note of judgments. Finally, keep copies of all the cover letters you sent; they can be adopted as the basis for enhancing your next cover letter.

I am planning to write my next blog related to the skills you should mention in your resume.