How to write a cover letter for a job

When applying for a job, it’s important that you take advantage of every opportunity to make a positive, strong first impression. Your resume is one way to do this, but another often overlooked way to make sure your resume gets the attention you want is to write a strong cover letter. Many people either don’t write cover letters, or don’t consider them important and worth spending any time on. Don’t make this mistake!

Cover letters give you the opportunity to show your personality to a potential employer and the chance to focus on some “soft skills” you have that might be hard to communicate in a resume. These include things like personal communication skills, enthusiasm, dedication, attention to detail, and professionalism, to name just a few.

The first and by far most important thing about a cover letter is to make sure that you spell check and double check your letter for grammar! This seems like a small point to make, but it’s far too common for a cover letter to contain errors that instantly communicate two negative points: that you’re not detail oriented, and that you don’t care about this job enough to take a few minutes to check your letter. Don’t make this mistake!

The content of your cover letter is also very important. Before you start writing your letter, consider the kind of job you’re applying for. Is it a formal setting, like a legal office, or a more relaxed creative atmosphere, like an advertising agency? You’ll want the tone of your writing to be appropriate to the audience – this is not to say that you should ever be too casual in your cover letter, but you can probably be a little less formal if you know your audience is going to be relaxed.

As you write, make sure that you explain why you’re applying for this particular job with this particular company. Take moment to research the office or company a bit, so that you can drop some details into your letter that will let the hiring manager know that you’re knowledgeable about their company. This kind of small detail can make you stand out as a more serious, more interested candidate. You’ll also want to compliment the company if you can do so without it seeming forced, to let them know that you look forward to being part of such a quality enterprise.

Lastly, let your cover letter be a chance to communicate some unique details about you and your skill set that might not come through in your resume. For example, if you have hobbies relevant to the job opening, or some short work-related anecdote that communications your strong interpersonal skills, your cover letter is the place for this information. Remember, your cover letter can be the difference between someone reading your resume or putting your resume in the “no” pile!

Again, the most important recommendation of all is this: Don’t forget to proofread! Good luck with your job hunting, and happy writing!

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Resume help: free cover letter samples and examples for human resources

Many people believe that when applying for a job, the cover letter is an optional addition to the resume. However, most hiring managers expect a cover letter and do not even consider resumes that do not come with one attached.

While the resume is in fact the meat and potatoes of your presentation to a potential employer, the cover letter acts as the spice that makes the meal worth sitting down to eat. Your resume is where your accomplishments are listed, but your cover letter is where you highlight some of the more relevant ones and pitch yourself as the person the company should hire. There may be hundreds of other candidates with equally impressive resumes, so use your cover letter to stand out.

Be original, but don't be "cute". To be original is to present your unique ability to handle the job requirements, whereas to be cute is to use the highly unprofessional "giggle factor", hoping your humor will get you a call back. It won't.

Your cover letter should be addressed to the person whose job it is to hire you for the position. If you do not know his or her name, call the company and ask. Make sure you have the correct spelling and title for this person. Of course, make sure you have meticulously checked your spelling and grammar.

The person who will hire you probably doesn't have much time for all the resumes on his or her desk, not to mention the other work that he or she needs to get done. Therefore, getting to the point and putting as much information as you can in as few words as possible will raise your letter's chances of being read in its entirety. An effective cover letter would read something like this:

DATE

Mr. John Doe

President

Big Company

123 Any Street

New York, NY 00000

Dear Mr. Doe:

Please find enclosed my resume for your consideration for the position of ____________.

Your ad in the New York Times specifies that the ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree or three years experience in ___________. I have recently completed my bachelor's degree, and I also have over two years of experience in the field.

My coursework in __________ has provided a solid foundation for work in _____________. Furthermore, my experience in ____________ began with my first job at Dynamo Company and continues into my present employment with ABC Corporation. I understand the importance of ___________ to Big Company, and am excited about the opportunity to help enhance it.

I have references available upon your request. I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you. I can be reached at (phone) or by email at (email address).

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Of course, you can't just take any cover letter, change the name and address, and send it off to every employer. Nor can you simply fill in the blanks in the suggested format shown above. The point of your cover letter is to let specific employers know that you have knowledge of their company and demonstrated skills that you can offer them.

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