Applying for a new job can be quite a hectic process and you always want to make sure that everything you do has been prepared perfectly. Your cover letter is one of those things that you should definitely pay a lot of attention to as it has a lot to say about your past working experiences and who you are as a person.
Even if you are a beginner at creating a cover letter, the good news is that there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use in order to make sure that your cover letter is of the best quality possible. In order to help you achieve that, here are some of the best tips for crafting a winner cover letter.
What is a cover letter?
First and foremost, you should be able to have a basic understanding of what a cover letter actually is. This letter essentially consists of a few paragraphs which will help your future employee get to know you a little better. Sending a simple resume can seem quite impersonal and a cover letter can help show a lot from your character.
In order to make this a little simpler, here are some of the most important things you should include and check in your cover letter.
- Start by introducing yourself
The very first thing you should be doing when it comes to writing a great cover letter is starting off by introducing yourself to your future employer. Whether you have spoken to them in person before or not, introducing yourself is a great way for them to remember your name and be able to tie the information you give them with your person.
Apart from that, you should consider this cover letter as the beginning of your relationship with your future boss. This is exactly why you should pay attention to making sure that how you present yourself for the first time leaves a positive impression.
- Appear professional
This might go without saying for some people, but it never is a bad idea to remind you of it. There are quite a few aspects to consider when it comes to the way to express yourself in a cover letter but probably the most important one is the vocabulary you use.
Using simple yet well-thought words and phrases will help you appear more professional, polite and certain of yourself and the abilities you have included in your CV. There is nothing that will help your future employee like you more than showing them you are someone with a certain level who is able to express themselves in a professional way.
- Explain why you are a good fit for the position
One of the things that are also very important for your cover letter to be a success is to not forget to talk about exactly why you are applying for the job. In order to do this successfully, you need to, first of all, mention the job you are applying or looking for and start mentioning the skills and previous working experience you have which you believe will be helpful in this new position.
This will help your future employee take a closer look at your resume and it will allow them to remember a few things about you, as you will essentially be emphasizing them through your own words in your cover letter.
- Show your excitement
Part of explaining why you are applying for a position is showing your excitement about being a part of the company. While some people might think that showing any kinds of excitement is very unprofessional in a cover letter or an interview, you need to keep in mind that excitement can be expressed through professional and well-written phrases.
Instead of adding many exclamation points and using the word excited over and over again, you can simply use phrases such as “I’m looking forward to…” and “I believe I am the perfect candidate for this position as…” can help show your determination and eagerness to get started on your new job.
Excitement can be a clear sign of dedication and by showing your future boss how eager you are to get started, you can easily convince them to see you as a great fit for the position just by sharing your energy through your cover letter.
- Include yourself in the future of the company
Another smart thing to do in order to help your future employee imagine you as an organic part of the company is to present them with an idea of how it will be for you to be working with them. In order to do this, you should start by doing some research on the company and its main goal, rather than just the aspects of your own future job.
This will show your employee that you are considering your job as an important part of the overall growth of the company and it can help you gain a lot of points in his eyes.
- Present data that could be missed in your CV
Employers want to learn as much as they can about a potential employee in as little time as possible. While they are always willing to put enough time into studying your resume and making sure you are a good fit for the position, they also have to go through many different resumes in a small amount of time.
This usually results in them focusing on finding certain abilities and skills they are looking for in regards to the position, and they can end up missing qualities which can really affect the way a person does their job.
In order to give your employee a good sense of your character and working abilities, you can talk about some points mentioned in your resume such as volunteering experience or certain soft skills which could help you do your job with much more ease. What you shouldn’t do though is make your cover letter look like a copy of your resume.
This will just be tiring for the employer to go through and it won’t help you get the focus you need on your writing skills or the soft skills your wish to emphasize in your cover letter.
- Make sure there are no mistakes
Proofreading and editing are always very important in any type of written content you might produce. For content such as your cover letter, these actions are especially important and can play a very important role in how your future employer views the way you express yourself.
Even if you are a newbie at these tasks, the good news is that there are plenty of ways for you to proofread and edit your content without being an expert in the field. Depending on the results you are looking for, you can easily use an online tool such as Grammarly, TrustMyPaper, Studicus, WowGrade or Hemmingway Editor in order to correct your grammar and spelling mistakes and make sure that your cover letter is polished and ready to be read by your potential employer.
- Keep it short
You might have a lot of things you wish to include in your cover letter, but most of the time it is a good idea to try and keep it short and to the point. The best thing you can do in order to achieve this is to, first of all, allow yourself to write about anything you have in mind and wish to mention.
After you have written everything down and have corrected all your mistakes, you should go back and read the text again. There will definitely be parts you will be able to rephrase or leave out completely and help your cover letter become a lot easier to read and remember by your future boss and this will greatly work in your favor.
- Don’t forget to include your contact information
Another thing that many people write off as not important is including their contact information in their cover letter. While you might have included your contact information in your resume and even if the company has kept your contact info in a separate file, such pieces of information are never hard to lose.
On top of that, you will come to find that most people will want to save up as much time as possible in their everyday lives. By providing your potential employer with quick access to your personal information, they will be much more likely to call you in for an interview if they see that you are organized and thoughtful in order to make their jobs a little easier.
- Finish it off with a call-to-action phrase
The final part of your cover letter should be all about motivating your potential employee to interview you in person and give you a chance. While you can’t really push someone to interview you, you can always plant the seed and see what happens.
In order to do that, you should, first of all, thank your potential employee for taking the time to read your cover letter. Along with that, it is a good idea to also thank them for offering you the potential opportunity of interviewing with them. This call-to-action phrase will help you sound not too pushy, but rather thankful and ready to take on the next step of this process.
Landing the job of your dreams is in your hand
There are many factors that can contribute to you landing the job of your dreams and the good thing is that a well-made cover letter can really help you out significantly. One of the most important things you need to remember is to always be yourself and not be afraid to show your true excitement about a job you have been dreaming of doing.
Which of these tips are you going to start using when writing your cover letters from now on?
About the Author:
Melanie Sovann, born in 1990 in the greater LA area, is a seasoned writer and blogger, passionate about a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from technology to sociology. She is currently a writer and editor at Trust My Paper and loves every second of it.
For more articles, visit OD Blog.
