How to Design a Cover Letter to Wow Hiring Personnel
Before you send your resume to a potential employer, write and attach a personalized cover letter. Cover letters allow you to introduce yourself to employers and explain your suitability for positions. Some employers look for cover letters that have been thoughtfully written and individualized to screen out nonserious applicants. Cover letters always address the person or company who is hiring and should be no longer than one page. If you want to stand out from competing applicants, there are a few things you should know about cover letter writing.
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Instructions
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Study the open job description, including the desired qualifications outlined in the advertisement. If the required qualifications or skills are vague, search for related positions or research the particular job to gain a better understanding of what the employer is looking for in a desired employee.
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Research the company and take notes regarding the history of the company, its major clients and any major transactions or events related to the company. Mentioning relevant facts about the company will tell the cover letter reader that you are genuinely interested in the company.
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Create a professional and clean looking letterhead for use with both the cover letter and your resume. It should include all of your contact information, including your full name, address, phone number and email address. Use Times New Roman as your font style and a 12-point font size for easy reading.
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Address the contact person by name. Start with "Dear:" and add "Mr." or "Ms." before writing the person's last name followed by title, name of the company, address and contact information. If you do not know the name of the person who will review your application, skip the salutation. If possible, call the company and ask the name and title of the person who reviews employee applications.
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Grab the reader's attention with a bold introductory sentence. Avoid starting the letter with something generic like, "Please accept my application for position X." Distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants by spending some time on an introductory statement that effectively communicates your interest in the position.
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Divide your letter into three sections. The introduction should briefly state the position desired and catch the reader's immediate interest. The body should highlight and amplify your best skills and qualifications that make you suitable for the position. The closing paragraph should provide an ending statement and indicate the next step the company should take to contact the applicant.
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Write "Sincerely," beneath the closing statement and type your full name three lines beneath the "Sincerely," message to allow room for your handwritten signature, if you plan to print the cover letter and send it my mail or deliver it in person.
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Proofread your cover letter for grammar, spelling, sentence structure and word flow. Make changes where necessary and ask another person to review your cover letter for extra feedback.
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