A cover letter can be the first thing the prospective employer looks at when you apply for a job. While hiring managers tend to spend more time analysing the resume, you can’t just write your cover letter as a side thought. If you can’t capture the imagination of the employer with your cover letter, it’s unlikely they are going to even look at your resume.
So, how to write a successful cover letter? The process isn’t rocket science – indeed, you just need to take the following five simple steps to succeed.
Step 1: Research the job listing and the company
The most important thing is to tailor your cover letter to the job posting. You don’t want to use a generic letter that you just send to different employers and recruitment agencies – a
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You want to create a list of qualities and characteristics the employer is looking for and a sense of the kind of responsibilities you would have as part of the job.
You can write a simple list of those qualities you find. For example, below is an example of a job posting with the important qualities and keywords highlighted
The above example doesn’t include the point about CRM software as something to highlight. This is because knowledge like that – or proficiency in MS Word and so on – are better mentioned in the resume. As you’ll see later, the cover letter is better for sharing your skills rather than your work positions or education, for example.
You can then expand your investigation to the organisation as a whole. You’re not just applying for a special job position but to be a representative of a specific organisation. Therefore, it’s important you understand what the company is trying to achieve and what kind of values it holds.
The best place to find this information is the company website. You can often find the company mission statement and vision somewhere under the ‘about’ section. They might even talk about their business values on the website. Note any specific words that come up and the kind of values you see coming through the paragraphs and
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It’s time to start writing your cover letter with the focus staying on the value you offer to the company.
The key is to not just write about your skills but to present them in a valuable light to the organisation. You’re not just boasting about your talent. You are explaining to the hiring manager why you’d be valuable person to the team because of these skills – you’re aiming to show the
You can start writing by thinking about what the company is looking for. Keep in mind the company mission and its values. While examining these, answer the questions with statements:
• How do I fit into the company mission and the values? What in my experience, skills and qualifications would make me a good fit?
• How can I help the company achieve that mission sooner? What in my experience, skills and qualifications would help achieve the mission?
• How do my experiences translate to the company’s (and my) successes in the future? What in your past shows you’d succeed in the future as