How To Write A Perfect Cover Letter
Cover letters are important and very tricky. It is not only important for the fresh graduates who are looking for their first career break, but it is also essential for the experienced professionals. A cover letter gives a brief overview about your skills and abilities. So it is important that the candidate is very cautious while writing a cover letter, as it would give a mirror image of their skills and caliber. Though, job seekers can show their eagerness, but they should not become effusive. It is advisable that the cover letters should always be simple and straightforward. In other words, the cover letter should not contain the hype, but rather it should show that the job seeker is interested in the job position.
Staffing agencies or hiring managers receive hundreds of applications for open positions. They cannot go through each and every cover letter in detail, so it is important that the job seeker includes all the best skills in the first paragraph in order to catch the attention of the hiring managers or staffing agencies. In this article, we will talk about the precautions that a job seeker must take while preparing their cover letter.
1. Cover Letter Format
This is the first and foremost thing the job seeker needs to address. The right format gives the first and best impression to the recruiter. If the cover letter is not formatted properly then it can be a turnoff factor for the recruiter. Recruiters have to go through hundreds of cover letters, and if the information is not in the right format then it will be difficult for them to understand the information present in the cover letter. So it is always advisable to use a standard format and also use fonts that present content clearly. It is advisable that the job seekers make use of Arial font in their cover letter.
2. Length Of Text In Your Cover Letter
The length of the cover letter is also important. The cover letter should not be too lengthy nor it should be too small. It should be precise, it should describe everything about your skills and your professional experience. According to some experts, it is always advisable to limit your cover letter to just one page. If it exceeds more than one page it is possible that it might be hard for the recruiter to go through the entire content as they have to screen many resumes and cover letters and shortlist candidates for the open position. So it is always recommended to limit your cover letter to just one page.
3. Use Job Reference Code
A job seeker must try to use similar words used by the recruiter in their job description. The reason for this is that, if there are too many job openings, it will be useful for recruiter to filter the cover letters according to the job requirements. For this , recruiters specify unique job code, which has to be included by the job seeker in their cover letter. If the recruiters use automated application tracking system or a resume parser then it would identify the cover letter with a unique job code and segregate it from other cover letters. If the job seeker fails to enter the job unique code given by the recruiter then the cover letter will not be tracked by the system.
4. Mention Job Title On the Top
Job seeker must mention the title on top of the cover letter and ensure that it is clearly visible to the recruiter or staffing agencies. It is also recommended to mention how they have come to know about the job opening.
5. Market Yourself
Job seekers have to mention about their traits and strengths in a clear manner. They have to market themselves, and the best way to do it is by writing about their strengths, skills and experience. They have to show their ability to understand job tasks and execute them in an effective and efficient manner. They can also about the certifications they hold, or any awards received, such as the best employee award, sports awards, and also show the recruiting manager that he/she is the right person for this job.
Conclusion
Job seekers must always be very focused and attentive while writing the cover letters. In order to gain the attention of the hiring manager, they have to write a cover letter that will serve their purpose.