3 Tips & Tricks for a Great Cover Letter That Will Land You the Job

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With the clear-cut purpose of introducing you, your skills, mention the job and encourage the reader to consider your resume, the cover letter is the best way to politely get your foot in the door of any company. No longer than a page, it should always be tailored to suit the job you are applying for and should be as specific as possible.

For instance, if you’re writing a cover letter for the administrative assistant position, you should include skills like proficiency in working with MS Office, sorting correspondence or data analysis.

In one page, your skills are considered and your future is put into balance. Today, the importance of the cover letter has been recognized along with that of the resume, with professional services typing out the qualities of people in order to get them hired. To achieve the desired result, a great cover letter must be written while keeping the following tips in mind.

1.    Relate to the reader

Any great text is made that way by the connection it establishes with its audience. The same principle remains valid for the summarizing and rather technical cover letter. To do so, doing research beforehand is paramount.

Research can amount to anything from finding out who will receive your cover letter and address it directly to him or her to studying about the company, its standings on the market and its values. As it addresses just one person – the representative of the HR department – relating to that audience is easier. The trick is to look at your cover letter as an HR generalist would.

Handling the day-to-day operations, policies, programs and practices of the HR as well as other departments, the HR generalist would be drawn to anything that stands out of the ordinary. Moreover, he or she will know exactly what type of person would make a good fit for the company. Convincing the HR representative that your resume is worth being taken into consideration is the first task of your cover letter.

2.    Take an appropriate approach

Having considered the company values, job description and the Cerberus-like HR representative whose approval is essential, you need to choose an appropriate approach. For example, conservative companies working in industries like law or accounting will want a formal tone that exudes competence. Conversely, an informal tone that exhibits creativity while still retaining professionalism might be the best choice for creative jobs.

Once skills, competences and education have been taken into account, companies would much rather hire an applicant that fits its style of work and personality. Through the style and approach that you use in your one-page letter, you have the chance to show that you would be a good addition to the team.

3.      Lead on

While the cover letter should not be a repetition of your resume, it should close in a way that makes the reader want to continue reading. Confidence is key in this respect and it has to seep through your words. A strong, personal ending that breaks away from the formal tone previously employed might encourage the reader to do just that. If successful, this tip will not only get your foot in the door, but will open it wide for you to enter.

The modern job market is an extremely competitive environment. Within it, even the most highly trained professionals in their field may have problems finding suitable employment. To survive and even thrive, you need to be able to market yourself to the potential employers and the cover letter is essential in doing just that.