Important Things To Remember When Writing Your Cover Letter
Cover letters are often used to introduce yourself to your future employer as well as to describe to them on how your abilities and skills would match or even exceed what they are looking for in a candidate. When handing out your resume, make sure that it is always accompanied by a cover letter because your cover letter will act as an introduction of your resume and it helps you emphasize more on your strong aspects which most suits your prospective employer’s needs.
Before starting to write your cover letter, be sure to do some research on your future employer and his company. Search the web for specific information like the person you need to contact as well as what their company is all about. Knowing these things will help you tailor your resume towards their needs which further increase your chances of winning an interview.
Your Cover letter should contain the ff:
1.) your address
2.) the date
3.) the name of your contact person
4.) their address
5.) salutation with specific name
6.) opening paragraph
7.) middle paragraph/s
8.) last paragraph
9.) your signature
10.) your name
11.) enclosure
Cover letters are rarely effective unless you address it to a specific person, you can’t simply write down “To whom it may concern” or something similar. Do some extra work by contacting the organization itself and ask the receptionist about the information that you need like the name of the person you want to address your letter to, the correct spelling of their name, their job title, etcetera. If you really can’t find the information that you are looking for, it would be safe for you to write “Dear Director of the Research Department” and use it on the salutation part of your letter rather than the generic “Dear Sir/Madam.”
For your opening paragraph, clearly state why you wrote the letter. It is important for you to address three main concerns on this part. Which position you are applying, why you are interested in the position, and how you learned about the job opening. If you had heard or read about the job opening through an advertisement, be sure to include how you heard about it. If you had been referred by someone, it is important that you also mention this in your opening paragraph.
As you move on to the body of your letter, state why you want to work on this field or under this employer. Use the information that you have gathered and bridge them together with your qualifications and relevant background towards the desired position. Do not forget to put an emphasis on the relevant parts of your resume that you had mentioned in this part of your paragraph.
Next, explain which part of the company or industry interests you the most and how you their company goals and your own personal goals fit with each other. Keep in mind that an employer is always concerned about his company’s growth and is only interested in people who could help them in expanding or improving their business, they have no interest in your own personal goals whatsoever.
For the latter part of your letter’s body, state some examples which demonstrates your skills and abilities that places you one level higher than the other candidates.
To end your letter, your last paragraph should be assertive. Be sure to include a statement which shows your interest in discussing the position further with them or in short, be assumptive. Immediately state that you are available and looking forward for an interview with them as soon as possible.
Before you hand out your cover letter and resume, be sure to do some proofreading and make your document solid and error-free. Once done, have someone examine your presentation and give constructive comments about it. Be open to these comments for they can further improve not only your letter but also your chances of winning that interview. Once done, you can now send out your presentation with full confidence.
