Writing good cover letters can make a huge difference in your job application. In today’s competitive job market, it is very important to make a good impression with your application. Having a good resume and cover letter improves your chances of job selection. This article explores what to consider in writing a good cover letter.
What to consider in writing good cover letters
Some things to consider in writing good cover letters are explained below.
1. Start with a very strong first paragraph
The starting paragraph of your cover letter is what the employer will read first and hence must be crafted well, first impression counts. A good first paragraph will grab the attention of the hiring manager and increase his curiosity to read your letter. On the other hand, a poor first paragraph will not grab the attention of your employer and he/she may end up not reading your letter to the end. In the first paragraph, briefly introduce the position you are applying for and the relevant skills and experiences you possess that make you the ideal candidate for the job opening. You can also include how you heard about the position in certain instances.
2. Customize your cover letter
Tailor the cover letter to the job you are applying for. Customize your cover letter to demonstrate qualifications, skills, and work experiences gained in your career that are relevant to the job. Use keywords from the job description to let the employer know you understand your job roles. Using keywords from job descriptions make it easier for hiring managers to notice you. Also, customising your cover letter helps you to remove irrelevant information and demonstrate good fit for the job.
iii. Highlight achievements
Use your cover letter to highlight personal achievements during your career that relate to the job. Showcase how you achieved or exceeded company goals and targets; this will let your employer know what you can provide them when employed. In addition, showing achievements in your cover letter puts you ahead of the people you are competing with.
3. Express Enthusiasm
Demonstrate how excited you are to work with the company. To get this right, read further about the company. Get knowledge on the company’s mission, vision, core values, and principal targets, and let them know how you will contribute to its growth and advancement. You can also express enthusiasm by indicating achievements in previous job positions. This will spark the curiosity of your employer and increase your chance of selection.
4. Be concise and straightforward
Hiring managers don’t have enough time to read long letters. Besides, long letters usually demonstrate laziness and let the employer know that you didn’t invest much time in your application. In addition, long cover letters means you don’t understand the major things required of you therefore you are saying a lot of unimportant things. Hence, avoid irrelevant information and only talk about things that have a direct influence on the job you are applying for.
5. Close with a strong call to action and express gratitude
In your closing paragraph, let the employer know how enthusiastic you are to work with them. Also, tell your employer how you are willing to be called for an interview to discuss your application and the possibility of working with them. Furthermore, express gratitude to them for considering your application.
Conclusions
Cover letters in addition to resume are the most important aspects of the job application process. Just as you will invest time to develop your skills and experiences, learn how to write good cover letters. This article can be used as a guide to help improve upon this skill. Also, after using the things discussed to draft your cover letter, let senior colleagues or people in the industry review and improve it. This will let you have a good cover letter devoid of avoidable errors. With time you can perfect this skill, which will increase your success in job applications.
