A cover letter is your first—perhaps the only—chance to amaze a possible employer. However, do not let this intimidate you. A cover letter is your prospect to shine. It gives an employer a short glimpse of the potential success you bring with you. Your knowledge, your personality and your passion all play a part in serving you land in a job. Don’t leave them behind when structuring your cover letter.
A cover letter must relate to the job for which you applied. The following format should be used to construct an effective cover letter.
Contact Info:
Do not skip this step as it is easy to forget. However, it is vital as the recruiter will need to know how to contact you. This information should consist of your full name, home address, your contact number and email address.
Greeting:
Your acknowledgement should be precise, professional and positive to create a good first impression. The significant part of the acknowledgment is doing your enquiry to discover the recruiter’s name. An appropriate greeting is to just use their name. For example, “Nancy,”.
Opening:
The introductory of your cover letter should be implemented to get the recruiter’s attention and set yourself apart from others. Express your personality while being professional, and show you are passionate about the work that you have done.
In your cover letter’s opening, clarify who you are as a qualified as well as the skills related to the job. Relevance is key!
Body:
The body of your cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself to the recruiter. When writing the body, remember the three w’s: why, what and what
Why are you writing?
What can you offer?
What do you know about the company and the team?
Closing:
The goal of this is to be simple yet informative. Notify the recruiter of any attachments, portfolios or certificates which could be included with your cover letter.
Lastly, sign your name with “Sincerely”, “Best” or “Yours”. If it is an email, remember to include any required attachments at the bottom.
Image: Jobscan : Cover Letter Writing Guide
