How to Write Cover Letter & Sample

The cover letter serves as an introduction to your unique talents, so that you can market yourself to the company, and most importantly, the person screening the resumes. One should adhere to a business writing format and write in such a way that the reader’s attention is drawn to what you have to offer the company. Simply writing down “my career is... and I have this knowledge and these skills...” will not differentiate you from other candidates at all. You need to further elaborate and explain how you would like to utilize your career and your abilities to enhance the productiveness of the company you are applying to. Here, you have to be conscientious and your introduction should not be overly one-sided or aggressive. Keep in mind that the purpose of the cover letter is to win an appointment for the interview. It is important to make the Hiring Executive interested in meeting with you. Also, be sure to mention in the beginning, how you learned about the opportunity, (i.e., name of acquaintance, or name of publication).

Though some points may be repeated many times in the cover letter, more abilities for writing, editing and expression are required, instead of simply itemizing your accomplishments. A cover letter can be seen as a communication method to provide some personal information that cannot be conveyed by a resume. Some companies and positions posted in the newspaper do not require a cover letter, however, it is a fact that the impression given to the Hiring Manager if you provide a cover letter is far better. The lack of a cover letter sometimes indicates that the candidate has been sending out mass resumes and has not really “paid attention” to what he/she is applying for, in the hopes of getting a job anywhere. Your cover letter will prove that you are actually interested in the position. When you begin writing, be certain to include the name of recipient. This improves the chances for the letter to get to the proper contact person. You may put “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern”, only when you do not know the name of the HR manager.

The main body of the letter should be kept around three paragraphs, no more than four paragraphs. Excessively long sentences can be nothing but cumbersome to the HR manager. Since HR managers can only go through so many applicants a day, the time spent on each letter is limited. The point is how effectively one can convey their talents and ideas. One can certainly purchase and utilize some manuals at a bookstore, but it is also necessary to be creative on your own. Simply copying the cover letter format from other sources, is less likely to be considered as “prepared with good faith” or personal enough.

One other important point for the cover letter, is punctuation and grammar. If you say you have excellent communications and writing skills, but your cover letter is riddled with misspellings, typos and bad sentence structure, it is very doubtful that your resume will even be looked at. A lot is determined about you through the cover letter, in a short time, SO MAKE IT GOOD!

Cover Letter Sample