How to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to Know

How to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to KnowHow to Write a Cover Letter Everything You Need to Know7theres a definite art to the exercise of writing a great titel letter.Like most aspects of job hunting, understanding how to write a cover letter can be learned, and you can only get better with time and experience. As you grow increasingly comfortable with selling yourself and explaining why youre the best candidate for the job (the reason cover letters exist, of course), you may come to appreciate how to take advantage of cover letter tips to write a letter that makes you shine.Heres what you need to know about how to write a cover letterDO Strategies to consider.Start off strong.Kick off your cover letter with a bang. Some options include making a statement about your enthusiasm for the company, your passion about what you do and your accomplishments, or using keywords in your cover letter to catch the hiring managers attention.Explain why youre the one.Making the case fo r why youre the best candidate for the job can help you preemptively answer the question of why you want to work for a particular company by showcasing your knowledge and qualifications.Research the company.Finding an employer thats a good fit for your flexible career goals is an essential first step in your job search. If youre a member (and hopefully you are), understanding how to research a company in the database can set you on the right path.Study the company culture. Seek to know acompanys cultureand understand its mission and how it works to achieve it. Study the companys website and research outside sources in your research, and reference your knowledge about the company in your cover letter.DONT Mistakes to avoid.A cookie-cutter approach.A job search isnt one size fits all, so to that end, take particular care to ensure that you customize your cover letter not just to the company, but to the particular job at hand. Each cover letter you write should be unique to the job y oure applying for.Being long-winded.Keep your cover letter tightly worded and avoid straying off course by being wordy or bringing up off-topic information. As much as possible, avoid repeating your resume while keeping your language personal in a succinct way.Inappropriate humor.Exhibiting humor thats in poor taste is bad form in pretty much any situation, but it can be particularly harmful in a cover letter. While you dont want to be overly serious or heavy, avoid going to the opposite extreme by being too light or frivolous.Loaded words and phrases. Self-promotion (which is what a cover letter involves) can be tricky, and its easy to step over the line. Certainwords and phrasescan be overkill, such as saying youre THE perfect person for the job, or coming off as too picky or demanding.The Basics of a Cover Letter That ShinesA major goal of writing a standout cover letter, of course, is to set yourself apart from other job candidates. As you compose a letter that helps you shine, dont lose sight of a few basics.Make sure you address the letter to the correct person.Be sure to use the correct title (Mr. or Ms. is usually appropriate) and anthroponym of the contact person. At all costs, avoid using To Whom It May Concern or other generic titles or honorifics, which could be a red flag that you havent done your research.Spell out the specific position youre applying for.No matter how beautifully crafted your cover letter may be, it may all be for nothing if you fail to include the basic information like the title of the job youre trying to land and, particularly, the kind of work flexibility youre seeking.Demonstrate your knowledge of the employer.You can be brief, but a tightly crafted sentence or two that shows off what you know about the employer can make you stand out. Good places to research this information include the About Us and mission statements of a companys website. Researching companies on can help get you ahead.Briefly highlight your soft skills .A cover letter is a great opportunity to highlight any soft skillsyou may have. Unlike so-called hard skills, soft skills encompass interpersonal talents like creativity, interpersonal relationships, communication, and decision-making.A big finish.Make your final paragraph a closer. Summarize why youre the right candidate for the job and dont forget to thank the hiring contact for their time and consideration. If a meeting or interview hasnt been set up or offered, nows a good time to request one as the next step in the hiring process.Looking for some help with your job search or career?SIGN UP FOR CAREER COACHING