COVER LETTER

COVER LETTER

What is a Cover Letter? (and Why It’s Important)

A cover letter is a one-page document that you submit as part of your job application (alongside your CV or Resume). 

Its purpose is to introduce you and briefly summarize your professional background. On average, your cover letter should be from 250 to 400 words long.

A good cover letter can spark the HR manager’s interest and get them to read your resume. 

A bad cover letter, on the other hand, might mean that your application is going directly to the paper shredder.

QUIZ TIME

Are you ready?

Multiple Choice

How long your cover letter should be?

• one page

• two pages

• as long as you need it

• one paragraph

Keep in mind, that a cover letter is a supplement to your resume, not a replacement.

You don’t just repeat whatever is mentioned in your resume.

If you’re writing a cover letter for the first time, writing all this might seem pretty tough. After all, you’re probably not a professional writer.

• you don’t need to be creative, or even any good at writing. All you have to do is follow a tried-and-tested format:

  
  

  
  

Follow a tried-and-tested format:

• Header - Input contact information

• Greeting the hiring manager

• Opening paragraph - Grab the reader’s attention with 2-3 of your top achievements

• Second paragraph - Explain why you’re the perfect candidate for the job

• Third paragraph - Explain why you’re a good match for the company

• Formal closing

How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter (And Get Hired!)

Step #1 - Pick the Right Cover Letter Template

A good cover letter is all about leaving the right first impression.

So, what’s a better way to leave a good impression than a well-formatted, visual template?

Step #2 - Start the Cover Letter with a Header

• As with a resume, it’s important to start your cover letter with a Contact Information section:

• Here, you want to include all essential information, including:

• Full Name and Phone Number

• Email

• Date

• Name of the hiring manager / their professional title

• Name of the company you’re applying to

In certain cases, you might also consider adding:

• Social Media Profiles - Any type of profile that’s relevant to your field. Social Profiles on websites like LinkedIn

And here’s what you shouldn’t mention in your header:

• Your Address / City of Residence - This is something you include in your resume, not the cover letter.

• Unprofessional Email - Make sure your email is presentable. It’s pretty hard for a hiring manager to take you seriously if your email address is “[e-mail].”

Step #3 - Greet the Hiring Manager

• Once you’ve properly listed your contact information, you need to start writing the cover letter contents.

  The first thing to do here is to address the cover letter to the hiring manager.

  That’s right, the hiring manager! Not the overly popular “Dear Sir or Madam.” You want to show your future boss that you did your research and are really passionate about working with their team.

  
  

• 
  

Still can’t seem to find the right person?

• Here are several other greetings you could use:

• Dear [Department] Hiring Manager

• Dear Hiring Manager

• To whom it may concern

• Dear [Department] Team

Step #4 - Write an Attention-Grabbing Introduction

• First impressions matter, especially when it comes to your job search.

  Recruiters get hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of applications. Chances are, they’re not going to be reading every single cover letter end-to-end.

  So, it’s essential to catch their attention from the very first paragraph.

Wrong Example

• Hey, my name is Jonathan and I’d like to work as a Sales Manager at XYZ Inc. I’ve worked as a sales manager at MadeUpCompany Inc. for 5+ years, so I believe that I’d be a good fit for the position.

Correct Example

• Dear Josh, My name’s Michael and I’d like to help X Inc. hit and exceed their sales goals as a Sales Manager. I’ve worked with Company X, a fin-tech company, for 3+ years. As a Sales Representative, I generated an average of $30,000+ in sales per month (beating the KPIs by around 40%). I believe that my previous industry experience, as well as excellence in sales, makes me the right candidate for the job.

• 
  

Step #5 - Explain why you’re the perfect person for the job

• This is where you show off your professional skills and convince the HR manager that you’re a better fit for the job than all the other applicants.

• 
  

Step #6 - Explain why you’re a good fit for the company

• The HR manager doesn’t only look at whether you’ll be good at the job or not. They’re looking for someone that’s also a good fit for the company culture.

• you also need to convince the HR manager that you’re really passionate about working with them.

How do you do this? Well, as a start, you want to do some research about the company. You want to know things like:

• What’s the company’s business model?

• What’s the company product or service? Have you used it?

• What’s the culture like? Will someone micro-manage your work, or will you have autonomy on how you get things done?

Step #7 - Wrap up with a call to action

• Finally, it’s time to finish up your cover letter and write the conclusion.

• Thank the hiring manager for their time.

• Finish the cover letter with a call to action. The very last sentence in your cover letter should be a call to action. You should ask the hiring manager to take some sort of action.

Step #8 - Use the right formal closing

• Best Regards,

• Kind Regards,

• Sincerely,

• Thank you,

https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-guide

QUIZ TIME

Are you ready?

Multiple Choice

A good cover letter is all about

• leaving the right first impression.

• giving information

• asking for an interview

• introducing yourself

Multiple Choice

What you shouldn’t mention in your header?

• Your address

• Full name

• Social media

• LinkedIn

Multiple Choice

If you don't know the person's name, which of these you shouldn't use.

• Dear Sir or Madam

• Dear [Department] Hiring Manager

• Dear Hiring Manager

• To whom it may concern

Multiple Choice

What should you include in your introduction?

• 2-3 of your top achievements

• where you have worked before

Multiple Choice

Which is not a formal closing?

• Goodbye

• Best Regards

• Sincerely

• Thank you

Multiple Choice

Another name for a cover letter is

• letter of application

• personal statement

• motivational letter

That's all folks!

Now, let's write your cover letter.