When applying to most jobs, it is essential to have a well-written cover letter to present along with your resume. Cover letters allow the applicant the opportunity to showcase their personality and skills that connect directly to the position they are applying. To make the most out of this page, we have a few tips and tricks that will help your cover letter shine above the others.
Use keywords from the job description.
To show how you would be the best fit for the position you are applying to, you must first read the job description. Write down the keywords on a piece of paper or copy and paste the job description in a word document and highlight all the qualifications and core responsibilities of this position. Make sure to include them in your cover letter.
Customize it
Hiring managers and recruiters see a lot of cover letters. Don’t let yours look like everyone else’s. Ways to stand out would include items such as stating the name of the company, the job title, and maybe some fun facts about the company or role that you are applying.
Tell a story
Employers want to know who you are. And with 30 seconds being the time employers spend on average reading cover letters, you need to make sure to grab their attention fast! Instead of starting the cover letter with “I am applying for ABC Sales position,” write something that will grab their attention like “Since I was a child, I have been a born salesperson.” Get them into YOUR story. Doing this will show them your personality.
Address your letter to a specific person
This part gets missed all the time in cover letters. No one likes to see “To Whom It May Concern” at the top of the cover letter. Take the time to look up the company on their website and LinkedIn to see if you can find the hiring managers name. If you can’t find it online, then call the company and ask. Hiring managers will take more time with your cover letter if it is addressed to them directly.
Express How You Can Better the Company
When reading the job description look at the areas of need. What can you do to help those areas? These abilities need to be expressed in your cover letter.