Essentially, your cover letter is how you sell yourself to who you hope is your future employer. I major in writing, so writing papers and articles is something I do on a daily basis. However, I still cannot stand cover letters. I'm good at writing them, but the possibility of being rejected, the anticipation of sending it, and the fact that it has to be perfect is overwhelming. Realistically, no one wants to write a cover letter. A cover letter could make or break you getting your dream job, and nobody wants or needs that stress. Unfortunately, a cover letter or multiple cover letters is something we have to do time and time again. I have a compressed list of helpful tricks and tips on writing cover letters.
1. Don't Use 'I' Too Much
I know, I know this is hard because after all it is a cover letter. You have to promote yourself to the best of your ability. Try to use different sentence patterns or even freshen up on your vocabulary. There's so many ways to talk about yourself without having 'I' as your first word.
2. Tailor your Resume to the Job
I recently visited New York City with my editing and publishing class to visit publishing houses. Each speaker talked about cover letters and what they like to see on them. The number one tip was having the cover letter tailored to the job description. Employers do not want to read a mirror of every other standard resume. Look at the description, and find out exactly what the company has jotted down for job duties. Tell how you know you can achieve those duties.
3. Don't Use the Phrase 'I think'
"I think this. I think that." No.
Instead, use phrases such as, "I am confident", "I could assure you and "I can guarantee". Employers need to know that you know you are fit for this job–not you "think" you are.
4. Show Everybody
Grammar is important. Formatting is important. Sentence structure and word choice is also important. Show your resume to your peers, friends, professors, or even a writing lab. They will be able to give you feed back, as well as help you if you have any questions or concerns.
5. Write About What You Couldn't Put in Your Resume
Resume only have so much room. If there's any professional, interesting, skill provoking experience you could not put on your resume, then put it in the cover letter. This will also help you elaborate on other opportunities that you had taken and how those opportunities would benefit you in this job.
6. Whatever You Do, Do Not Regurgitate Your Resume
Of course, t's okay to elaborate on specifics from your resume. But don't spit out the exact same information on your resume in chronological order. Your cover letter should be focused on what exactly you could bring to a work environment.
7. Stop Worrying About the Skills You Don't Have
Even if you are lacking some skills that the employer prefers you should still apply. This was another tip I learned on my trip to the big apple. The employees said that if you are lacking skills then really write about what your specialties are and what you can bring to the company. If you stand out enough, you will still get the job.
8. Tell the Employer Why You Chose Their Company
Explain why the company interests you. Tell them a story about what made you become passionate enough about a job and what made you passionate enough to do that specific job for that company. This shows your level of interest. Employers want employees who are dedicated to their job. They seek employees who will put in effort in this position.
9. Brag!
More often than not, it is common that people feel that they might be oversharing their experiences and credibility in a cover letter. Brag all you want. Cover letters are your time to shine, meaning it's all about you. Think about it this way, if you were promoting a friend to job recruiters you would talk about why your friend would fit perfectly in the environment, right? Do this for yourself.
10. Keep it to one page
Just like a resume, a cover letter should only be about a page long. Employers go over cover letters quickly. So make it short and concise because anything over one page long may not get read all the way through, meaning you won't get the job.
Use a Template If You Have To
When I first had to write a cover letter I used a template. I was unsure how to organize the paragraphs or even what to put. The template help so much. My advice would be, don't completely copy the template exactly, but draw ideas from it. Soon enough you'll get the hang of writing cover letters–after all, you're going to write many.
Cover letters can be intimidating. They could either help you get the job or put you at a disadvantage. I have found that after a while writing cover letters does get easier, but anxiousness will always be a factor. When writing a cover letter just remember to be yourself, and even if you don't get the job, continue applying elsewhere!
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