A cover letter is a writing sample and a part of the job screening process.
You can increase your chances of being interviewed by writing an effective cover letter.
A good way to create a response-producing cover letter is to highlight your skills or experiences that are most applicable to the job or industry and to tailor the letter to the specific organization you are applying to.
General rules of effective cover letters:
1. Address your letters to a specific person if you can.
2. Tailor your letters to specific situations or organizations by doing research before writing your letters.
3. Keep letters concise and factual, no more than a single page.
4. Avoid flowery language.
5. Give examples that support your skills and qualifications.
6. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. What can you write that will convince the reader that you are ready and able to do the job?
7. Don’t overuse the pronoun “I”.
8. Remember that this is a marketing tool. Use lots of action words.
9. If converting to a .pdf, check that your formatting translated correctly.
10. Reference skills or experiences from the job description and draw connections to your credentials.
11. Make sure your resume and cover letter are prepared with the same font type and size (Times New Roman, 12).
You can increase your chances of being interviewed by writing an effective cover letter.
A good way to create a response-producing cover letter is to highlight your skills or experiences that are most applicable to the job or industry and to tailor the letter to the specific organization you are applying to.
General rules of effective cover letters:
1. Address your letters to a specific person if you can.
2. Tailor your letters to specific situations or organizations by doing research before writing your letters.
3. Keep letters concise and factual, no more than a single page.
4. Avoid flowery language.
5. Give examples that support your skills and qualifications.
6. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. What can you write that will convince the reader that you are ready and able to do the job?
7. Don’t overuse the pronoun “I”.
8. Remember that this is a marketing tool. Use lots of action words.
9. If converting to a .pdf, check that your formatting translated correctly.
10. Reference skills or experiences from the job description and draw connections to your credentials.
11. Make sure your resume and cover letter are prepared with the same font type and size (Times New Roman, 12).