How to Write a Cover Letter
March 22, 2018
Cover letters can be challenging to write. Resume writing follows a format, and the focus should be on information. Cover letters are more free-form than resumes, and there aren’t many agreed-upon rules. You have more choices to make for a cover letter; this can be positive and negative. On the positive side, you’ll be able to write a cover letter that fulfills your exact purpose, no matter what it is. The major drawback, though, is that it’s easy to include unnecessary information. Cover letters are also subjective. You may write a cover letter that meets your exact specifications, but it isn’t what the employer is was expecting. There are a lot of decisions to make when writing a cover letter but there are some tricks you can use to make the process easier.
Make sure everything is perfect
You can’t afford to have any mistakes on your resume or your cover letter. No matter the content, if your cover letter contains errors, employers are not going to consider you seriously. Cover letters with mistakes are even more damaging when applying for a job that requires writing. For some employers, your cover letter is a sample of your writing that they will use to evaluate your aptitude for the position. Look over your cover letter and your resume lots of times and once you’re sure it’s perfect, give it to friends and family to proofread.
Tailor the cover letter to your resume
There are a few ways that you can use your cover letter to compliment your resume. One way is to answer objections. As you’re writing your resume, think about the person reading it and when their impressions might be. Your cover letter should shed light on anything on your resume that might make you look like an undesirable candidate. For example, if you left a job after only working there for a few months. You should use your cover letter to explain why you worked there for such a short period.
Tailor your cover letter to the job
Employers use cover letters for different things, and you should know what employers are looking for when writing yours. Some employers use cover letters as writing samples. When a job ad mentions writing, you should assume that employers will evaluate your cover letter as a writing sample when considering you for a position. In these cases, your cover letter should be, not just free of errors but grammatically well constructed. Some employers use cover letters to get to know the applicant. If a job ad stresses the importance of company culture, you should focus on telling them why you would fit in with their company. In these cases, look at the kind of language used on the company website and explain how you will add to their culture.
Cover letters are essential and have few rules, apart from formatting. Do your research and find out what kind of cover letter will help you land the job. To find jobs in Greenville NC, check out our listings on GetHiredLocal.com.