Writing the Best Cover Letter

Besides the resume, the cover letter also plays an important role in a jobseeker impressing the recruiters. A good cover letter can help you stand out from the rest of the candidates vying for the post you have applied for. On the other hand, a not so good cover letter can make your resume look bad and the employer might not even consider your resume. When writing a cover letter, most jobseekers make the mistake of mentioning the same things that they have already stated in their resumes. This only makes their cover letter boring and the hiring manager would have no interest in reading it. The following are some tips that can help you in writing a compelling cover letter that compliments your resume.

No Need to Address It to Any One

Most of the time you won’t know the person who is going to be reading your cover letter so it is best not to address it to anyone. Starting the cover letter with “Dear Sir” or “To Whom It May Concern” are generic addressing methods which are used by nearly all the applicants. Since you want to make yourself stand out from them, it would be a good idea to not use them and instead begin your cover letter directly with the main body.

Personalize Your Cover Letter

The best cover letters have a personal feel to them. You can make your cover letter personal by writing it in first person. This is going to help you in making more of an impact on the employer and create excitement about your achievements. In addition to this, the first person point of view is also going to give you the chance to emphasize on your skills and tell the employer how you can use them for his benefit. Another way of personalizing your cover letter is to customize it according to the needs of the job that you are applying for.

Make It Different From Your Resume

The cover letter must be different from the resume and must contain information about your personality and interests. It must highlight the fact that you are eager about the field you want to enter and possess knowledge about it as well. Thus, it is a good idea to put in interesting facts about your field in the cover letter. These facts can either be of a historical nature or about a discovery that sparked your interest in this field. You may also add in your cover letter the reasons why you think you can excel in that particular field as well.

Use Call to Action for Closing

When writing the closing of the cover letter, most applicants make the mistake of writing lines like “Hope to hear from you soon”. Such statements are not going to make an impression on the employer therefore it is necessary that you close with a call to action. Say that you are eagerly waiting to get the opportunity to work in the company and would call in sometime next week to discuss further matters. This way you will be able to achieve two things; firstly, you won’t sound like the rest of the bunch who are applying with you and secondly, you would be able to make a lasting impression on the employer as well.

Be Concise

The best cover letters are concise. The hiring manager does not want to hear your ramblings, he just wants to get an idea about your personality and why do you think you deserve the job. So, stick to the reason for writing the cover letter and be concise. It is best to wrap up your cover letter within three paragraphs. Don’t extend it beyond one page and refrain from using complex words. Make sure that most of your cover letter is in simple language and is easy for the recruiter to understand in a single glance.

PDF Format

The PDF format is the best one for saving your cover letter in. Not only is it the most commonly used format for this purpose, but is also the most effective one as well. A cover letter in PDF format would not have to be converted by the employer which makes it easier for him to read. Moreover, PDF format cannot be easily tampered with so you can rest assured that your cover letter is going to be received by the employer in the exact form as you had sent it to him. Thus, save your cover letter in PDF format instead of either .doc or .docx.

If you make use of these tips then you will be able to come up with a good cover letter that is going to help you in getting an interview call up at the least.