What is a cover letter? How to write a cover letter ?
The cover letter is a document of equal importance to the resume.
The resume cover letter is the first impression the selector will have of the candidate and its negative or positive impact is going to influence his or her further reading (or not ) the CV or resume.
A Cover Letter must be very professional, well written, without misspellings. The content directly explains the candidate meets the requirements for the position, emphasizing and directing the attention of the selector towards the abilities, skills and knowledge the candidate has proved, with concrete examples based on previous experience or non-work experience (if you have never worked or have been outside the job market for a while).
Why is the resume cover letter useful?
- Cover letter highlights the difference with the rest of candidates.
- Cover letter has to convince the selector to invite you to an interview.
- Cover letter shows your motivation.
- Cover letter reflects your skills for written communication.
How to write a cover letter ?
- Paragraph 1: present and explain the aim of the cover letter.
- Paragraph 2: why you are interested in the company that you are writing to, in this very industry and in this particular position.
- Paragraph 3: what you contribute (achievements, experience); abilities and capacities that you will use to carry the position’s functions.
The order of paragraphs two and three can vary based on how you want to write the cover letter.
- Paragraph 4: invitation to the interview. Be creative when finishing the letter; do not use the expression "I wait for your call". Mention that you can call to arrange an appointment or meeting, not an interview.
- Warm goodbye, full name and sign the letter.
Remember to make your cover letter eye-catching; you want the reader to be taken in, read on to your CV and give you an interview. You want to distinguish yourself from the rest! Bearing this in mind, think about your main strength for the post and highlight it from the beginning – don’t let your potential employer read through lots of irrelevant data and miss the good part! Your main strength will be something that isn’t in the requirements for the job – all the other candidates will have these so think outside the box, what else can you bring to the table? Maybe you have worked for a competitor and so can educate your (potential!) new company about the competition they face. Or maybe you have language skills and so can bring in business from abroad.
Some Tips for writing an effective cover letter.
1. Be brief and to the point.
Most of the time a cover letter for a job application only has to state that you are applying for a position and that the application and supporting materials are enclosed. That's it.
2. Make no mistake about it.
The most important caveat in a cover letter? Make no mistake about it. Absolutely no errors. Your cover letter must be perfection itself. A typo, a poor printing job, a misspelling - mistakes will make a poor impression because they imply that you don't care.
3. Use a word processor.
Never hand write a cover letter. Never. Prepare your cover letter on a computer using MicroSoft Word. Don't have a computer? Borrow a friend's or go to a business center and rent one for an hour or two.
4. Avoid fancy fonts and colors.
You are not creating a flyer or a poster. So use a business font such as Arial. No colors. Black on white reproduces easily. Use a plain white paper. No deckled finishes or colors either. Print your cover letter and resume on a laser printer. DeskJet printer ink smudges.
5. Keep it short.
Your cover letter should be one page in length and perfectly centered. The cover letter and resume are never folded. They are placed in an envelope large enough to accommodate them unfolded.
The resume cover letter is the first impression the selector will have of the candidate and its negative or positive impact is going to influence his or her further reading (or not ) the CV or resume.
A Cover Letter must be very professional, well written, without misspellings. The content directly explains the candidate meets the requirements for the position, emphasizing and directing the attention of the selector towards the abilities, skills and knowledge the candidate has proved, with concrete examples based on previous experience or non-work experience (if you have never worked or have been outside the job market for a while).
Why is the resume cover letter useful?
- Cover letter highlights the difference with the rest of candidates.
- Cover letter has to convince the selector to invite you to an interview.
- Cover letter shows your motivation.
- Cover letter reflects your skills for written communication.
How to write a cover letter ?
- Paragraph 1: present and explain the aim of the cover letter.
- Paragraph 2: why you are interested in the company that you are writing to, in this very industry and in this particular position.
- Paragraph 3: what you contribute (achievements, experience); abilities and capacities that you will use to carry the position’s functions.
The order of paragraphs two and three can vary based on how you want to write the cover letter.
- Paragraph 4: invitation to the interview. Be creative when finishing the letter; do not use the expression "I wait for your call". Mention that you can call to arrange an appointment or meeting, not an interview.
- Warm goodbye, full name and sign the letter.
Remember to make your cover letter eye-catching; you want the reader to be taken in, read on to your CV and give you an interview. You want to distinguish yourself from the rest! Bearing this in mind, think about your main strength for the post and highlight it from the beginning – don’t let your potential employer read through lots of irrelevant data and miss the good part! Your main strength will be something that isn’t in the requirements for the job – all the other candidates will have these so think outside the box, what else can you bring to the table? Maybe you have worked for a competitor and so can educate your (potential!) new company about the competition they face. Or maybe you have language skills and so can bring in business from abroad.
Some Tips for writing an effective cover letter.
1. Be brief and to the point.
Most of the time a cover letter for a job application only has to state that you are applying for a position and that the application and supporting materials are enclosed. That's it.
2. Make no mistake about it.
The most important caveat in a cover letter? Make no mistake about it. Absolutely no errors. Your cover letter must be perfection itself. A typo, a poor printing job, a misspelling - mistakes will make a poor impression because they imply that you don't care.
3. Use a word processor.
Never hand write a cover letter. Never. Prepare your cover letter on a computer using MicroSoft Word. Don't have a computer? Borrow a friend's or go to a business center and rent one for an hour or two.
4. Avoid fancy fonts and colors.
You are not creating a flyer or a poster. So use a business font such as Arial. No colors. Black on white reproduces easily. Use a plain white paper. No deckled finishes or colors either. Print your cover letter and resume on a laser printer. DeskJet printer ink smudges.
5. Keep it short.
Your cover letter should be one page in length and perfectly centered. The cover letter and resume are never folded. They are placed in an envelope large enough to accommodate them unfolded.