How to Write a General Interest Cover Letter
Cover letters are a way to get a potential employer's attention. They can introduce you in ways that resumes do not. If you are fresh out of college, changing careers or just entering the work force, it can be difficult to write specifically about your history in a way that draws attention. This is why knowing how to write an attention-grabbing general-interest cover letter can be useful.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Grab their attention right away. There is no need to bore potential employers with mundane biographical details. Instead, get right to the heart of the matter: What is it that makes you an interesting potential employee worthy of an interview? This can be done either with what you say or how you say it. Remember that average cover letters are average. Your general-interest cover letter has to stand out.
-
2
Be yourself. You want to stand out, but you also want to be genuine. Make sure that in your attempt to stand out that the best you is coming through. Even if they don't know you, chances are that a potential employer or HR manager can sniff out a contrived cover letter a mile away.
-
-
3
Target your letter. Write to the job you are applying, not just any job. While you may have a stock general-interest cover letter, you'll want to have places in the letter to write specifically about each job you apply for. This is an important part of showing the company that you are interested in working for them, not just taking any job that comes along.
-
4
Be concise. You want to grab a potential employer's attention, not give them a detailed biography. In general, the shorter the letter the better. The interview is the place where you really sell yourself. A cover letter is just the place where you introduce yourself to your employer and give them a reason why they should have you in to learn more.
-
5
Proofread your letter thoroughly. Spelling errors, typos, grammatical errors and other mistakes are totally unacceptable in a cover letter. You cannot have any. Spell-check your letter. But also read it over yourself three or four times, paying attention to the most minute details. Believe it or not, one simple spelling error can cost you a job, particularly in a tight job market.
-
1
