Top Nine Rules for Writing Cover Letters
We re going to cover 9 of the best tips when writing your cover letter; these will provide valuable guidelines to get the very best out of yours.
Rule 1 – Passion And Enthusiasm
That fire in your belly so to speak. Go after what you want and act like you really want it. I know it sounds crazy but it s not. This fire will jump off your letter and touch those reading it. There’s nothing wrong with digging deep, go after that job like you really mean it, act like it s the last job on earth and it s already yours and you ll develop the right attitude
That fire, that energy and enthusiasm will jump off the page and reveal the type of person you are and that you re keen.
Give the same energy to each of your cover letters for each job application and you will make the person reading it see something special in you. You will keep this momentum for each cover letter you write too, whether it s for your 1st or your 50th, keep the same energy level because to your boss to be, this is your first cover letter to them not your umpteenth.
Share your energy and enthusiasm but never be desperate, come from a position of confidence and you will have mass appeal amongst recruiters and prospective employers.
Rule 2 – Know Who You re Writing To
Most people just threw up their hands with how obvious this statement was but think about how many people get this wrong. I know, it sounds like a no-brainer doesn t it? In actual fact most people trip up on this minor oversight.
It goes far beyond just getting the name of the company, the recruitment officer, or the human resources manager right. Certainly addressing the correct person ensures that your cover letter at least gets read by the right person but this goes way beyond just finding out the usual, surface details.
To go a step further and to stand out you need to do what 90% of others aren t
prepared to do. While other applicants are spraying their cover letters everywhere
hoping that something will stick, posting out their default cover letter with every application they send, but YOU won t be making that mistake.
To get noticed above the others who are not willing to go that extra mile like you will, you re going to do some extra research of your own which goes way beyond just finding the correct person and department.
Always put yourself in the position of your boss to be. They receive so many letters on a daily basis and they know without a doubt who took the time to make the effort and who just wrote them for the sake of putting an extra feeler out there. Taking the time to know who you re writing to will pay off.
So how can you find out about them?
If you re coming in from the cold, do a little investigative research by surfing the Internet. Technology continues to make the world a smaller place and you ll be able to find that almost any company is listed online.
This is a valuable tool you have at your fingertips, so use it. Find out about your prospective employer, about their company, it s background history, how it came to be, are there any interesting points that stand out to you and something you could use in your cover letter or to win you cool points in your interview?
What can you learn about their core values? their business beliefs and how does this tie in with your own?, what you can offer them?, what can you ultimately bring to the table that would make you a good fit for them?
When composing your cover letter always personalize each one specifically for the position you are applying for because they will all differ, no matter how little it s best
to customize your cover letter to suit each specific job application, no one cover letter is a one size fits all. That extra attention to detail will always pay off.
So, do your homework, the extra work will give you the extra edge.
Rule 3 – Get To the Point
When writing your cover letter, organize your information so that it s easy to read.
The human brain including that of your recruiter s, human resources manager and boss to be, likes simplicity, structure and order.
It helps to structure information in your cover letter with bulleted points.
This makes it readable, draws attention to relevant points and gives it a natural flow on effect.
Presenting your information in bite-sized chunks also makes it easier to process. You wouldn t try to force feed an entire meal in one mouthful would you? The same applies to how you organize your information.
Smaller pieces of information are easier to digest and absorb and will stand out to your prospective employer. It also makes a statement about you, it shows that you
are concise, to the point, structured and well organized. A well-presented and organized cover letter speaks volumes of the person creating it.
Here s how to pack a punch of bite sized information tidbits:
Try using shorter sentences around 15 to 16 words in length. Having sentences 30 words or more in length is the equivalent of someone rambling on about him or herself and not getting the point. This gives the impression the applicant is more interested in talking about themselves, not to mention being hard on the eyes which is a turn off when your employer to be has poured over several applications in the space of a day.
Having too many long paragraphs strains the eyes leaving them to wonder what
they re meant to focus on.
The use of bulleted points with plenty of white space gives good eye relief. This is a well-known tactic that sales copywriters use. They leave plenty of white space on either side of the text so that the reader can easily focus on what the writer wants them to, which is to get their sales pitch across.
This work s equally well whether you re trying to sell a product or trying to get an interview, it s all the same. This technique works in every area because we are all human beings meaning that we all respond to the same psychological triggers no matter what the situation, your boss to be included.
You also have to remember that yours is one of many. Employers and recruiters are busy people and they don t have a lot of time.
Rule 4 – Short „n Sweet
The length of your cover letter should be under a page, 3 to 4 paragraphs at the most, anything over that unless requested should be avoided.
Short, sweet and to the point is the order of the day. Long cover letters can make you look longwinded and ultimately get tossed into the bin. Make it a goal to get your point across quickly, always assume they don t have a lot of time and considering the current job market and number of applicants is a fa
Paragraph 1 – Strong opener, get attention, hook interest
Paragraph 2 – Back up with credentials, skills, qualifications, experience
Paragraph 3 – Conclusion, call to action
Check out this video on how to write a cover letter.
Rule 5 – Keeping It Simple
Keep your language simple and to the point. Write naturally like you would to a regular person. Avoid using stuffy and unnatural language that you wouldn t normally use in your everyday life. You don t want to be a different person on paper than you are in real life.
You want your personality to shine through enough for the interviewer/manager in charge to want to meet you. Just make sure the language you use reflects the real you, after all that s the person they will be drawn to. That s not to say that you shouldn t be unprofessional, writing with personality doesn t give you an excuse to write sloppy language with spelling and grammar errors.
Start by writing like you would directly to the person interviewing you. Visualize them sitting across from you and tell them what you want them to know about you, write those points down.
Write as many as you can, spare nothing, you can always alter and change it later but for now this gets the creative juices flowing. Don t mentally edit your thoughts, let it all flow out on paper. Not only is this good practice to think on your feet but it also helps prepare you for the interview process.
Take all of the points you ve just written down, and then flesh out each one. Pick the best 5 to 10 points to use in your cover letter. Extra rule Don’t Lie
Rule 6 – Trial By Typo
No typos or grammatical errors, remember the spell check isn t perfect and as the saying goes your computer will do what you tell it to do and not what you want it to. Your employer will use this to profile you, it s all they have to go by before they even meet you.
If your cover letter is full of mistakes, then they will probably deem your work ethic to be along similar lines which means you risk getting through to the next phase and securing yourself the interview. Harsh but true, this is what s really going behind the scenes once your cover letter is received and because you know this you can do something about it to ensure you don t fall into the same trap.
Rule 7 – Attention to Detail
Most people just send out a standard, carbon copy one size fits all cover letter when applying for positions and the person on the receiving end will know this. They will know it s a standard
letter and that all was changed were the recipient details because it s too generic, it doesn t talk about the job specifics or how your skills relate to them, in short it gives them nothing to go by, with
yours quickly ending up the trash bin.
Think what you would like to receive, you would give greater care and consideration knowing that something was tailor made with you in mind and the details prove this.
When creating your cover letter, outline the job skills they are requesting and how
you fit into this. Like a conversation, address some of the points in the application so that they know you really read it. This will not only stand out to your prospective employer but it will set you apart from the rest of the pack.
Treat each cover letter like it s the one that s going to get the job, always pay particular care and attention not to get food or drink stains on it as this speaks volumes about you. Your potential employer may see your sloppy cover letter with smudge or inkblot and get the impression that your work habits are the same and may have doubts about meeting you.
This is the only impression they have to go by so don t take yourself out of the running on a technicality. Pay attention to those little details that paint a picture of you because you only have one chance to make a first impression.
Rule 8 – Change Your Strategy
Just like ad campaigns, great cover letters are made and not born. It takes a little time and testing to know if it s a hit or miss. If you re not getting the response you were hoping for then change elements of your cover letter and then measure your result, in short if it s not working – change it.
Just writing and sending out applications to prospective employers without questioning why a callback or interview isn t forthcoming isn t good enough.
By not sparing a thought of what you re doing or not doing each time a cover letter goes out could be costing you the job.
If it s not working, change it. Any good ad campaign will be honed and fine-tuned
until it can t get any better. You need to do the same.
Rule 9 – Follow Up
Always follow up by phone, email or by snail mail if your resume and cover letter was received. After an interview, thank you letters provide additional information they
may find valuable in the decision to hire you. This is the stuff that most others won t do, your competition prefers to do the bare minimum to hopefully get by, but not you. You want that job and you re going to get it so as with anything in life if you want success, you have to do what 99% of the crowd aren t prepared to do and that s to invest the time, effort and energy into your purpose.
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