A cover letter is a brief document which is attached along with the resume while applying for any job opening. An effective and a perfect cover letter include all the reason for joining the firm or an organisation along with the relevant experience and skills of the applicant. There are multiple types of cover letter, like prospecting letter, application letter, inquiry letter, referral cover letter and the one which we used to send it along our resume to apply for a job. We are here today to answer your question “how to write a perfect cover letter for any job opening”. So, we will particularly talk about the cover letter which must be written as per the instructions from the employer. If you are searching for a job, then it is must to attach an intuitive cover letter with your resume.
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Contents
Types of Cover Letter
We have two significant types of cover letter, Email Cover Letter (used for applying for jobs online) and Paper Cover Letter (personally applying in organizations).
Email cover letter
Salutation: Always include salutation like Mr., ms, Mrs. Etc. at the beginning of your cover letter as a greeting to a person of contact. One should have adequate information about the company him or her applying in. If you know the person name always writes dear as your salutation and if you don’t know the name then you can write “Dear recruiting team” or “Dear hiring manager” as a salutation. Always remember to use a comma after that.
First Paragraph of the cover letter: Include about the job for which you are applying and how or from where you have got to know about this job opening. It should be one to two sentences in length.
Body of the cover letter: Be as much specific as possible as it will help the recruiter to understand you and your personality. Include things like your experience, your qualification and also why you are applying for a job. Be short, simple and specific.
Final Paragraph of the cover letter: Here you just have to wrap up all the things like why you are eligible for the post, always provide your contact information, just say that you look forward to meeting you in person, mention that your resume and references are attached, just thank a person to whom you are putting forward your application.
Paper cover letter
Add a letterhead on the top of cover letter: Your letterhead should include information like your name, address, telephone number and your email number. Your name must be mentioned in bold letters with 14 to 16 in font size. All other information, including the contact, must be in 12 font size. If you want to give your cover letter an extra visual appeal, then you can give an extra line below the letterhead. Your letterhead must be a professional one.
Include the recipient name, date and address below the letterhead: It does not matter where you mention the date or how you mention it but it should look professional and easy. From this point onwards one should use Arial or Times roman font throughout the entire cover letter. One has to make sure that the font is black and use standard size printing paper while taking out the printout.
Salutation: Always includes salutation as included in the email cover letter like Mr., Mrs., and Dr Etc. as a greeting to the hiring manager or the recruiter. If one is not sure about the recipient of the letter one should write “Dear sir or Dear Madam”.
Purpose in First Paragraph: Here you must mention about the purpose of joining the job. It must include why you are interested in working with a particular employer, your experience, highest qualification you have attained etc.
Outline of your qualifications: Just mention the highest qualification that you have attained so as the recruiter or the hiring manager can judge you and your capabilities. Mention your relevant skill which sets you apart from your competitors. You must have knowledge about the company like its history, its founders etc. and mention in brief here.
Final Paragraph with unique things about you: Make this paragraph unique which makes the recruiter determined to contact you before your competitors. You must specify that you are ready to meet you in person anytime in near future in this closing paragraph and then you have to finish off your letter by mentioning gentle thanks to the recruiter or the hiring manager.
Concluding Paragraph: At last, write an appropriate closing like respected, regards, faithfully etc. Add your signature at the end to wrap your cover letter.
Tips to write a cover letter
- Avoid making the opening lines of your cover letter a cliché. Make the opening sentences memorable. While writing a cover letter remember that it should make you stand out from the crowd.
- Avoid making the cover letter the narrative of your resume. Your cover letter must include all the important credentials in brief which are mentioned in your resume.
- You must show your genuine interest for the role and job in the organization. You must have all the details about the job profile for which you are applying for. Avoid using more superlatives and flowery phrases.
- Mention all the relevant skills which you possess and are perfect for the job role. Talk briefly about your capabilities and how they can benefit their organization.
- Avoid using bullet points while mentioning your skills or credentials.
- Mention positive about the organization like its reputation, factors which make it impressive and stand out, management philosophy and much more. Do little flattery which might work for you.
- Keep your cover letter short, simple and concise. The cover letters are just to attract the employer or recruiter so that they can have a close look at your job application.
- Close the cover letter in a professional manner. Avoid showing yourself as a desperate person for the job. A great opening and an equally right ending is a must.
Three excellent cover letter examples
A cover letter is the first major thing which every employer or recruiter sees in your application for the job. If you think that it supports your resume, then you are wrong. Because a cover letter is an opportunity for you to stand out uniquely from the crowd as well as persuade the employer to hire you for the job.
- Standard and a Conservative Style Cover Letter
This type of cover letter is ideally for the job sectors like retailing, business, accounts and law. For the creative sectors, this type of cover letter would be less appealing and might not work for you. - Standard Speculative Cover Letter
This type of cover letter varied according to the job sector you are applying for. - Letter to Creative Jobs
This type of cover letter is simple and unique. It must show your imagination and understanding about the job requirements. Just maintain the balance and avoid being too wacky as it can turn off the employer or recruiter.
Dear Mr Black,
Please find enclosed my CV in application for the post advertised in the Guardian on 30 November.
The nature of my degree course has prepared me for this position. It involved a great deal of independent research, requiring initiative, self-motivation and a wide range of skills. For one course, [insert course], an understanding of the [insert sector] industry was essential. I found this subject very stimulating.
I am a fast and accurate writer, with a keen eye for detail and I should be very grateful for the opportunity to progress to market reporting. I am able to take on the responsibility of this position immediately, and have the enthusiasm and determination to ensure that I make a success of it.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Yours sincerely
Dear Mr Brown,
I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in your company. I enclose my CV for your information.
As you can see, I have had extensive vacation work experience in office environments, the retail sector and service industries, giving me varied skills and the ability to work with many different types of people. I believe I could fit easily into your team.
I am a conscientious person who works hard and pays attention to detail. I’m flexible, quick to pick up new skills and eager to learn from others. I also have lots of ideas and enthusiasm. I’m keen to work for a company with a great reputation and high profile like [insert company name].
I have excellent references and would be delighted to discuss any possible vacancy with you at your convenience. In case you do not have any suitable openings at the moment, I would be grateful if you would keep my CV on file for any future possibilities.
Yours sincerely
Dear Ms Green,
· Confused by commas?
· Puzzled by parenthesis?
· Stumped by spelling?
· Perturbed by punctuation?
· Annoyed at the apostrophe? (And alliteration?)
Well, you’re not alone. It seems that fewer and fewer people can write. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who can read. So they’ll spot a gaffe from a mile off. And that means it’s a false economy, unless you’re 100% sure of yourself, to write your own materials. (Or to let clients do it for themselves.)
To have materials properly copywritten is, when one considers the whole process of publishing materials and the impact that the client wishes to make, a minor expense. Sloppiness loses clients, loses customers.
There is an answer. Me. Firm quotes are free. You can see some of what I do on my multilingual website at [insert web address]. If you’d like, I can get some samples out to you within 24 hours. And, if you use me, you’ll have some sort of guarantee that you can sleep soundly as those tens of thousands of copies are rolling off the presses.
Luck shouldn’t come into it!
With kindest regards
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At last, we just want to mention that adding a cover letter to your resume is a must, whether you send your resume through mail or hand it over personally to any organisation. A cover letter gives an extra edge over to you over your competitors who applied for the same job opening. before writing a final cover letter, you must jot down the points in rough so as to make your cover letter a perfect one. One should make or write adequate points in rough so as to mention it perfectly while making the cover page. Always remember to write the complete name of the company, name of the recruiter to whom you are addressing this cover letter, the address of the person to who you are addressing, job title for which you applying and type of job or level that you are seeking. So, guys, this is all about how to write a perfect cover letter for any job opening.
