Cover Letter Tips

Your resume can be very impressive. But if your cover letter isn't equally impressive, it's possible that your resume will never get read. First impressions are lasting impressions, so your cover letter has to make your case clearly and effectively.

Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences. Look for keywords describing what the employer wants and reflect those in your cover letter.

Tips for writing a cover letter:

Customized your cover letter:

Send a customized cover letter with each resume you send out. Even if an employer doesn't request a cover letter, it's helpful to send one.

Target your cover letter:

Take the job posting and list the criteria the employer is looking for. Then list the skills and experience you have. Either addresses how your skills match the job in paragraph form, or list the criteria and your qualifications.

Don't rehash your resume:

Your cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume. Expand on your resume & highlight your background as it relates to the job.

Be brief and to the point:

Write simply and clearly. Each letter should be just a few short paragraphs. If it is too long, it won’t be read.

Personalise your letter:

If you can, address it to the individual responsible for hiring. If need be, make a phone call to find out who the hiring manager is.

Spell check and proofread:

Then ask someone else to check it for you before you send it. There must be no mistakes.

Never hand-write a cover letter:

Never! Prepare your cover letter on a computer using MS Word. Avoid fancy fonts and colours.

There are three basic parts to a cover letter

Ideally, you will cover these three basic parts in just 3 - 5 concise paragraphs on one page. The following is an outline of how the "typical" cover letter content is organised.

FIRST PARAGRAPH

Immediately state the position you are interested in and the reason that you would be the best candidate for this position. If you are responding to an advertisement, state this.

SECOND PARAGRAPH

Discuss your qualifications and show how the company will benefit from them. Highlight your special accomplishments. Consider using bullets to make these stand out. If you are responding to an advertisement, use this paragraph to detail how your background parallels the qualification requirements mentioned in the advert. Don't feel that you need to write a detailed synopsis of your employment history. Include just the highlights and the pertinent information.

THIRD PARAGRAPH

Make it clear to the reader that you would like to speak to them in person. Specifically ask for an interview and make sure that you include your telephone number and any special instructions to reach you.

THE CLOSING OF YOUR LETTER

This should appear two lines under the body. A simple "Sincerely," will usually be fine. Under this, apply four lines and type your name. If the letter is printed, you insert your signature above this.