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If writing is not your strong suit, finding out a company you want to work for is requesting a cover letter can be a scary realization. In reality, there’s nothing to be scared of! When employers ask for cover letters, they want to know more about you and what you can bring to the company’s table. So, the best way to write a cover letter is to make it unique to you, your skillset, your personality, and how these strengthen you careerwise. However, here are a few do’s and don’ts that can make or break a good cover letter.
Do – Keep it Brief
Cover letters are not supposed to be essays. Remember that depending on company size, employers will have limited time to review your application, so keep all your ideas brief and straight to the point. On average, a cover letter with 3-4 paragraphs is good to go. Though you want the letter to be an extension of your resumé, it should not be a direct copy in written form.
Don’t – Boast
When highlighting your work experience or skills in the cover letter, try not to show off or only talk about how good you would be for the job. Of course, you want to let the employer know you are a great fit, but you also want to show your employer that though you qualify for a position, you are willing to learn and grow careerwise. Also, when highlighting your achievements and skills, make sure they relate to the job you’re applying for. If you need a refresher, go to the position’s requirements and try to match a skill or achievement that aligns with that requirement.
Do – Show Off Your Personality
If cover letters were all about what makes you fit for the job, companies would not ask for one in the first place. So, you should always add little bursts of your personality to enhance the reading experience! It will not only give the employer more fun while going through your application, but it will also be a good indicator of you as a person. For example, you can start with an anecdote, a fact about you, your background, or anything you believe is related to the position you’re applying for and worth sharing. Whatever feels best to communicate is often the safest bet to making a good point. However, stay on topic and do not make it too informal. The balance between the two is critical to success.
Don’t – Recycle Cover Letters
If you’re applying to multiple jobs, it may seem bright to use a cover letter you previously sent out and rewrite it to fit another application or company. However, it is in your best interest to refrain from doing this and instead opt to write different cover letters for every application. Sure, it can be tiring, especially if several of the job positions you want are all requesting a cover letter, but just like jobs may require different skill sets, they also need different ways of thinking! You can also bring additional insights to each letter you write, so it is worth showing your ability to adapt to various prompts.
Do – Show Excitement
One of the best ways to show a company that you care is by doing research, and what better way to start showing it off than through your cover letter? Though you don’t have to go on about the position or the company, you should always prove you researched what the company does or, more specifically, what the job allows you to do. You can show it off as a simple sentence or two, but it makes a big difference as interest in the company makes applicants stand out the most.
Don’t – Send It Out Right Away
Although different from writing essays and papers, cover letters are similar in that creating multiple drafts before sending out a final product works wonders. When finished with your draft, have a grammar or spelling checker like Grammarly revise your work, read it aloud, or have others read it. Depending on your feedback, you can tweak your letter or start a new draft altogether. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with your work and send your letter! This piece of advice might feel like common sense, but it is so important to reinforce how effective persistence truly is.
