How to write a cover letter?

Your résumé is now at its best. You’ve narrowed down your selection of cool jobs to apply for. Even a friend trained you for each and every interview question there is. Before you can submit your application and move on, you realize that the job posting calls for a cover letter. Now you must figure out how to write a cover letter. Not to worry! Contrary to popular belief, creating a cover letter is rather straightforward. We’ll show you how to write a cover letter in this guide so you can land the job you want.

A Cover Letter: What Is It and Why It Matters

When applying for a job, you must provide a one-page document called a cover letter (alongside your CV or Resume).

Its goal is to give you a concise introduction and rundown of your professional history. Your cover letter should be between 250 and 400 words in length on average.

A strong cover letter can pique the interest of the HR manager and persuade them to review your resume.

On the other hand, a poor cover letter can result in your application being shredded without even being read. Therefore, mastering the craft of writing an effective cover letter is crucial to ensuring that this doesn’t occur.

But keep in mind that a cover letter is an addition to your resume, not a substitute for it. In other words, you don’t merely restate what’s on your résumé.

This may seem like a lot to write if this is your first time creating a cover letter. You aren’t a professional writer after all.

However, you don’t even need to be particularly creative or talented at writing. All you have to do is adhere to the following format:

• Header: Enter your contact details
• Welcome to the hiring manager!
• Introduce yourself in the first paragraph by highlighting a few of your greatest accomplishments.
• Second paragraph: Justify your selection as the best applicant for the position.
• Third paragraph: Justify your suitability for the company.
• formal conclusion

Step by Step guide on how to write a Cover Letter

After covering the fundamentals, we’ll walk you step-by-step through the process of producing a cover letter.

Step # 1 

Pick one of carefully curated cover letter templates online, and you’ll be ready to go in no time!

As an added benefit, AI will also recommend ways to enhance your cover letter as you write it.

Step # 2

Add a Header to the Cover Letter. It’s crucial to begin your cover letter with a section for contact information, just like you would on a resume

Here, you should put all pertinent details, such as:

• Total Name
• Mobile Number
• Email
• Date
• Name and designation of the recruiting manager
• Name of the business you’re attempting to join

In some circumstances, you might also think about adding:

• Any form of social media profile that is pertinent to your industry. LinkedIn profiles, GitHub profiles for developers, Medium profiles for writers, etc. 
• Personal Website: You may mention your personal website if it enhances your application in any way. Say you work as a freelance writer. You should then include a link to your blog.

What you shouldn’t mention in your header is as follows:

• The Complete Address
• Inappropriate Email Ensure the presentation of your email. If your email address is “abcde@gmail.com,” it’s pretty difficult for a hiring manager to take you seriously. Always use the format “[first name] + [last name] @ email provider.com” when applying for employment.

Step # 3 

Welcome the Hiring Manager. You should begin composing the cover letter’s contents after carefully listing your contact details.

Here, the cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager as a first step.

The hiring manager, that’s right! Not “Dear Sir or Madam,” which is too common. You want to demonstrate to your potential employer that you did your homework and are really excited about joining their team.

Nobody wants to hire a job applicant who simply spams 20 or more businesses in the hopes of being recruited by one of them.

How therefore can you identify the recruiting manager? There are various methods for doing this.

Step # 4 

Compose an Eye-Catching Introduction. First impressions are important, especially when looking for a job.

Many times, recruiters receive thousands of applications. They probably won’t read every cover letter from beginning to end. Therefore, it’s crucial to grab their interest in the opening sentence.

The most common issue we have with cover letter starting paragraphs is that they are frequently quite generic

Step # 5 

Justify your selection for the position. This is your chance to showcase your professional abilities and persuade the HR manager that you’re the best candidate out of everyone else who applied.

But first things first: you need to find out what the role’s most crucial criteria are before you even start writing. So, check through the job description and decide which duties are most important.

Step # 6 

Justify why you’d be a good fit for the business. I’m a shoo-in for the job after writing the last paragraph, you might be thinking. What other writing do I need to do? I’ll simply finish the cover letter and press the nice SEND button.

Okay, no. You haven’t quite arrived yet.

The HR manager takes into account more than just your aptitude for the position. They are seeking a candidate who will fit well with the corporate culture. Employees that don’t fit in will eventually go, after all. Up to 50% of the employee’s yearly compensation is ultimately lost, which costs the business a tone of money.

This means that you must also persuade the HR manager of your genuine enthusiasm for working with them.

Step # 7

Conclude by issuing a call to action. Finally, it’s time to finish up your cover letter and write the conclusion.

In the conclusion, you should: 

• Finish whatever points you didn’t get to in the previous sentences. Have you got anything further to say? Any more details that might influence the hiring manager’s choice? Specify it here.
• Gratitude is appropriate for the recruiting manager. Being polite never hurts, as long as you don’t come across as overly reliant.
• Include a call to action at the end of the cover letter. Your cover letter should have a call to action in the final phrase. You need to request that the hiring manager do something.

How to write a Resume