|
How To Write A Winning Cover Letter
By Yulin Peng
The cover letter that accompanies your resume on your job
search is the first thing that your prospective employer sees ?
your first advertisement. Naturally you must embellish your
cover letter with certain qualities so that it leaves a good
impression on the employer about you. A cover letter that
looks professional and smart will be good advertisement for
you. Use good quality stationery, print the copy in fonts that
are large enough to read and have a professional look. That will
leave the person look at it with approval.
Your name and contact address on top of the page along with
your contact details, phone numbers. e-mail ids etc. followed
by the date of writing the letter. Below the date, print the
name of the person to whom the letter is addressed. A word
here. Find out the correct name of the person who is reading
the letter and you will serve your cause well. Make sure that
you have the name and the designation right (no spelling
mistakes) because the slightest oversight here could make a
big difference. People are very sensitive about their names and
designations. A bit of research (such as calling the company to
confirm the details) will do. Address the person formally with a
Mr. Or a Ms or whatever is appropriate ?do not ignore any Dr.
or Professor wherever required.
Having thus put the employer in a pleasant state of mind, your
letter must now proceed to make a real impression. Form
letters will make no impressions on anyone, so customize your
cover letter for each job. Keep the content of the cover letter
simple and professional in tone and about half a page in length
(stretching to a maximum of one page). Briefly mention the job
you have applied for in the first paragraph and the source from
where you have heard of the opening.
In the second paragraph briefly highlight the qualities that
make you the best candidate for the job. Think creatively and
write persuasively and crisply. Put yourself in the employer抯
shoes and present yourself in a manner that would attract his
attention. One way is to mention how you could add to the
organization抯 bottom line. Be careful not to repeat what is in
the resume. Merely use a line or two to say why you are the
best person for the job. A phrase that gives them the idea
that you have done your homework about the company would
leave them in a favorable state of mind as well.
It is important that you leave your personal mark so write it in
your own words because that adds a touch of authenticity to
it and makes it stand out from a lot of form letters. Having put
together a neat letter make sure that there are no grammatical
errors or spelling mistakes. Check and recheck and get it proof
read by a third person.
Add the most important bit i.e. closing the transaction by
requesting time for an interview and mentioning the time
when you would follow up. And having done that, please do
follow up. Mention the enclosures after your signature.
Good luck!
About the Author Yulin Peng is a recruiting researcher and the owner of http://www.job-employment-guide.com. Please visit his site for more free employment tips.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/31024.html
If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/31024.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
Some other articles by Yulin Peng | How To Write a Resignation Letter It is resignation time. The time has come to move on from the
present job.
The time to reach out for a writing pad and draft out the resignation
letter. So
what ...
The Art of Career Planning Career planning is an exercise that is well worth the time invested in it because it sets
you going on the path that leads to where you would like to ...
Preparing For A Career Change The time has come for a career change. You wish to switch careers and it's the only thing on your mind these days. Bored, fired, low pay or high ambition, ...
Secrets of Resume Writing If there is one skill you need, then resume writing is probably the
first and most effective skill that you will have to develop for your
job search. Your resume is ...
|
|
| |
|
|
|