Writing an Effective Cover Letter

Perhaps you’ve studied all there is to research on what things to include in a cover letter, how to format it, style it, and how it interacts with your resume; but do you really understand how to make it effective enough to get the interview? While most of us can cough up a professional looking, formulaic cover letter to address any job in any industry; most often, these cover letters are seen for just what they are-and this renders them utterly ineffective-and jobs pass us by. With this in mind, we take a look below at what is needed to write a cover letter that truly markets your skills and gets you the interview.

Research: One of the first things that a person should do when they are, either trying to create their first effective cover letter, or make their current one more effective; is to research what other people are doing. This means to reference career minded sites, but also the industry go-tos according to your field. This way, you know what is expected by the potential hiring managers reviewing your cover letter, and therefore, how to best format your address.

Know the Contents: Know exactly what an employer wants to see in a cover letter. Most often this means: the highlights of your career, how long you have been in the industry, your career goals, and your most outstanding skills and qualifications. Take this information and make sure that you tie this to the company’s goals and goals for the specific position that you are applying for. Without making the connection, the cover letter is much less powerful and demonstrative.

Proof Read: Of course, you need to spell check, etc; but you also need to make sure you read the document out loud so that you know if there are any misappropriations of words or awkward phrases. Moreover, it gives you the opportunity to see if it is a powerful summation of your career. After you’ve proofread the document, give it to a colleague to have them see if they can catch any issues.

Be Concise: Your cover letter’s purpose is to introduce you as an applicant and also review your resume’s most pertinent points. Remember this, and keep your cover letter concise. This will take a lot of reviewing and editing; but will be well worth it in the end, as it will be more powerful to the reader.

Simple Format: Make sure that you are very simple and professional in the font and formatting you use. The last thing an employer wants to see is a multi-colored or excessively bolded or underlined cover letter. Use black, simple font in size 10 or 12 for an effective approach.