Cover Letter Tips
Tips for Writing a Cover Letter
A resume is the most important document when looking for a job, but it’s not all you need to do to get one. Many people feel that cover letters are no longer required. However, most recruiters and employers still prefer to read them. It gives more information about the person and the motivation and desire of the candidate. So what should be considered when writing a cover letter? Our cover letter writing team will share the secret.
One Cover Letter Per Position
The employer immediately understands when a cover letter is one for many vacancies, and such behavior is not highly appreciated. If you have applied for several positions, you need to rewrite your cover letter to fit the job’s requirements (mainly if you have applied for several vacancies in the same company).
The Format
The best cover letter tip is to use templates. It can significantly simplify the whole writing process because you can choose one template and customize the cover letter using different skills and experience. This way, you will save time and be sure you have chosen a suitable template. Do not sit down to write a cover letter unprepared, especially since templates allow you to make fewer mistakes.
We believe that the format of the letter matters. You should write no more than one page and fit the maximum benefit into this volume.
The readability of your letter also plays a role. Don’t make paragraphs too big and unwieldy. We believe that most complex sentences can be omitted or simplified.
The optimal size of a cover letter is up to 400 words.
To write a cover letter, use a simple and professional font like Arial. Do not choose calligraphic fonts. It will significantly spoil the reading process.
Know What to Write about
A cover letter helps to sell yourself to an employer, but this is not so easy to do when there is a lot of information, and you need to choose something specific.
Focus on two or three of your primary skills (related to the desired position) and describe the associated experience or achievement.
You must explain to recruiters why you should become an employee. Your motivation should be straightforward.
If you study the company more, you will indeed find more information about its values and principles. Our cover letter advice is to link the info to your motivation.
In no case do not add your subjective opinion. If you write “I think I will be helpful to you, ” this is your opinion. Support your argument with facts.
How to Start and How to Finish a Cover Letter
Another good cover letter recommendation is to address your cover letter directly to the hiring manager. Thus, a simple but thrown into the void “Good afternoon” turns into a full-fledged regular appeal. Moreover, we think the hiring manager will be impressed by your knowledge of the company.
It is also essential to know how to finish the letter. Avoid informal phrases like “I love you,” “Thank you,” and so on. Use something like the classic:
- Sincerely
- Respectfully
- Kind regards
Don’t forget to sign at the end of the letter! You can do it by hand or electronically.
Reveal Yourself
How to make cover letter stand out? It would be best if you described yourself as the ideal candidate for the position. Therefore, you must provide as much evidence as possible that you are the right person. How to do it? Add a number and date to your cover letter. This way, you can clearly indicate the results of your work. Don’t talk about vague achievements, but say directly: “With my help, the company’s revenue increased by 15%.”
The main problem should be to choose a few of the most important among all your successful cases to fit information into a small format of 400 words. Therefore, you will have to decide as carefully as possible. How to do it? It’s simple:
Stick to keywords
When applying for several positions, you must change the content of your cover letters. Because of this, it is best to choose different skills/experiences for various vacancies. Focus on finding keywords and incorporating them into your text.
A crucial cover letter tip is to not overdo it. You don’t need to make your cover letter an exact copy of your resume. It is unlikely that the employer will approve this. Try to expand the value of your application and tell more about what you did not have time to tell in your resume. For example, in summary, you can describe your education in a few lines. But in a cover letter, you can talk about essential opportunities or skills you have received through education.
Don’t Talk Too Much
That is indeed a tip for a successful cover letter. The most common mistake of the candidates is oversharing. There are two main rules when writing cover letters:
- Do not reveal personal information.
- Do not joke.
- Don’t talk about your missing points.
All this is detrimental to your reputation. If you speak confidently about what you lack, the manager will immediately see it. It would be best if you didn’t expose your flaws.
Humor is also not entirely appropriate when it comes to writing cover letters. The fact is that humor is a very subjective thing. And what seems funny to you may be flat or awkward to another person.
Personal information has no place in your cover letter. The employer wants to know more about you as a professional. If recruiters want to know more, they will try to ask about it in an interview. Don’t turn a cover letter into an autobiography.
Proofread Your Cover Letter
A cover letter can be pretty varied, but this does not exclude the possibility of errors. Before submitting the latest version of your document, proofread it several times.
Or you can ask a trusted person to check your cover letter. An outside view is fundamental in this matter because a cover letter is about objectivity. It can be immediately noticed if there is too much personal and not quite actual in the document. Such cover letters are not exciting and are almost immediately put aside. Never reread.
Have a friend check your cover letter, and then see if it’s professional enough.
Sometimes, however, it is better to ask a professional who can do it many times better, based on their experience.
Bottom Line
We hope our tips for a good cover letter helped you a lot! You can read our “10 Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts” article if you think you are missing information. Please don’t ignore the importance of cover letters and always be responsible when writing them!