A good cover letter is essential to get a job interview. Use your free Career Tools to write stand out letters and get interviewed ahead of other applicants.
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Writing a powerful cover letter is easy with these essential cover letter tips!
Sending a cover letter with your resume is an essential step in the job application process. A good cover letter will help you to stand out from other applicants and make it clear to the hiring manager that they need to meet you!
Don't rewrite your resume in your cover letter, but do draw attention to your most relevant and important achievements. Do this in the body of your letter to support the 3 main points you want to communicate.
Make sure you address these three key points in your cover letter:
Write your letter in paragraph form as you would any other letter. Keep your tone professional but conversational. Be positive and upbeat about the opportunity to let the hiring manager know that you are really interested in the role.
Refer to the name of the position in your cover letter, as the recipient may be vetting applications for many different roles.
Write a tailored, targeted cover letter for each position you apply for. If you plan to use a generic cover letter for all your applications, don't bother. If your cover letter doesn't grab the reader's attention and describe precisely how and why you suit that particular position, it won't get read anyway.
Keep each cover letter to around 4 or 5 paragraphs maximum and less than a page in length. Don't waffle. Make sure you stay on topic. Re-read your cover letter multiple times to refine your message and increase its impact.
Find out who will be receiving your application and address your email / mail and cover letter to that person.
As with your resume, there are no excuses for spelling errors, grammatical inaccuracies or other avoidable mistakes. Remember, this letter is a reflection of who you are. Are you sloppy, inaccurate and prone to error, or careful, precise and accurate?
Proof read it yourself multiple times and then have someone else proof read it for you.
Write your cover letter as an email, and attach your resume. Send your cover letter as an attachment only if the employer requests it.
