How to write a cover letter

How to write a cover letter that can give you a job?

It is very common scenario to write a resume for applying for a job. But along with this, it is also important to include a cover letter. What is a cover letter? How to write it? How is it different from a resume? Follow this article to know more about it. 

What is a cover letter?

It becomes necessary to have a document which represents your personality in two or three pages. Cover letter is such a document which helps employers in hiring suitable employees for their companies.

A cover letter is written in order to:

1.Apply for a job

2.Contact the potential employers

3.Give personal introduction

Different types of cover letter

The different types of cover letter are:

1.Application letter: This type of cover letter is written in order to apply for a job.

2.Referral  letter: A type of cover letter which has the name of a person to whom you have referred to.

3.Letter of interest:  It is a type of letter which inquires about fresh job vacancies.

4.Networking letter: This kind of cover letter requests for job search.

5.Value proposition letter:  It is a cover letter which explains briefly about the individual’s value.

What are the elements of a cover letter?

1.Opening:  One of the required element for a cover letter is its stellar opening lines. Every cover letter that opens with impressive lines have often helped in catching the employer’s attention.

2.The body of the cover letter: The body of the cover letter is the most important part as it discusses the skills and the value of an individual through achievements and qualifications.

3.Strengths:  Assessing one’s own strength is the biggest strength. The strengths that you have in your personality must be rightly explained. Care must be taken to know the fine line between bragging and telling about the achievements. 

4.Show don’t tell:  This theory works out well for this scenario. Employers must be shown the value. This cannot happen by mere telling the achievements , they must be shown.

Tips to write the best cover letter

1.Write in a professional language: Professional world or corporate world communicates in a professional way. It is very appropriate to use the business or professional language. Here professional language means to avoid the use of informal language such as colloquial words and jargons.

2.Write unique content: As a cover letter showcases your talent, it is mandatory to add few of the unique points about yourself. It is the unique content that grab’s an employer’s attention.

There are unique qualities in everybody which must be mined in order to know about yourself and represent the same.

3.Be honest: It is to be noted that an employer and an employee’s relation is built upon trust. Hence honesty must reflect in your cover letter. Being frank always helps solve a problem.

4.Have short paragraphs: Cover letter indicates a document having description in paragraphs. These paragraphs must be written in short. Employer’s glance through the cover letter hence writing it in long length will decrease its readability.

5.Include hooks:  Hooking an employer with your skills is indeed a skill. To catch reader’s attention, it is important to include hook statements.

6.Be confident about your skills: Words always show a person’s individuality. To get a job, your skills must be put onto test. Hence you must be confident to show your skills on a paper.

7.Organize your skills: Every write-up will have a format in which it must be written. While writing a cover letter too, your skills must be organized in a proper format. Have the best opening lines, two or three paragraphs which showcase your talent and lastly a conclusion.

8.Be sure to add the updated details: It is important to keep the personal details updated. Personal details such as contact number, email address must be up to date as it will help the recruiters to contact easily.  

9.Show your determination: The passion for working and determination must be shown through the cover letter.

10.Know about the company: Before writing a cover letter, the company to which you are applying must be known in advance which helps in getting a job.

These are few of the tips presented here which will be helpful in creating a cover letter.