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Don’t forget about your achievements.
An employer knows that when they hire a new employee, they have to spend time and money in developing him, as well as in paying for his services. Thus, they want the best in the field. With that, you should not forget to tell them about your achievements through your cover letter, so that they would know your potentials.
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Indicating that you are willing to learn.
When you write that you are willing to learn, you have to consider that it can mean different things to different employers. It can mean that you are open to other functions in the job. However, it can also remind the employer about training as well as expenses. Thus, it should be safer if you would not be including this statement in your letter. Focus more on what you can contribute to the company, since that is the main factor that your employer would be checking out.
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Do not forget to indicate your abilities to meet deadlines.
One of the concerns employers have when it comes to hiring a new employee is whether the new worker can meet deadlines. This is because, this part of the job is very important, since it is a factor that can affect the overall performance of the business. Thus, you have to let them know that you have this ability, so that they would be assured that hiring you would be a chance that they are willing to take.
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Never parrot your resume.
There is no use for a cover letter if you are just going to parrot your resume with it. This is because, your employer would realize that he has just wasted his time in reading both documents. Thus, the cover letter should not just parrot the resume. It should elaborate your resume and explain certain things about it.
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Do not sound weak when you send out a cover letter through email.
When you submit a cover letter through email, you should not tell your employer that your resume is attached for them to read it if they want to. This is telling them that you are not even sure if your resume is worth reading. Say something direct, and expect them to read it, so that they would do so.
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Listing hobbies and interests.
It is a common practice for some to list down hobbies and interests into their cover letters. However, before listing them down, you should think whether they are really relevant to the position or not. If you are unsure, then it is safer not to include them, so that you won’t make your cover letter longer than it should be.
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You can refer them to your previous employer if you want to.
In writing your cover letter, you would want to sell yourself to your potential employer by making value judgments about yourself. To add more credibility in them though, you can always refer them to your previous employer or tell them that your previous employer can attest to it. By doing this, they would not even bother calling your employer about it, and would just take your word for it.
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Don’t forget your ability to handle multiple tasks.
Handling multiple tasks is a skill that you may have acquired from an unrelated field of work. However, you can use it on your cover letter, since you can apply it to any kind of work. Do not forget to mention is, since lots of employers want their workers to handle multiple tasks. It is a benefit that you can offer to them, which would increase your chances of getting hired.
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Being dynamic.
Lots of companies today go through constant change, whether in the kind of operations that they do, or by dealing with their customers. Thus, it is a good idea to tell them that you are dynamic. This means that you are flexible, and that they can depend on you when changes have to be made.
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The opening paragraph of your cover letter.
The opening paragraph of your cover letter should be written in a way that it grabs the attention of the reader. This is where you can state what your intentions are. Aside from that, this is also the paragraph where you can let them have an idea about what you can do for them.
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The number of paragraphs you should have in the cover letter.
In the cover letter, having three paragraphs in it should be good enough. If you need to elaborate more though, having four paragraphs is not bad. Each of the paragraphs in the cover letter should have different content, and there should be about three or four sentences in it.
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Formatting your cover letter.
Leaving plenty of spaces or white spaces in your cover letter is a good idea. Thus, when you format your cover letter, it is a good idea to have generous margins in it. Aside from that, using double space between paragraphs should also be a good step to take.
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Number of pages in the cover letter.
Always remember that your potential employer may have to go through reading fifty to a hundred cover letters and resumes in a day. In other words, it is quite a tedious task for him. With that, if you are wondering about the number of pages you should have for your cover letter, then you should only keep it to one. There are no exceptions for it, since it is best if your cover letter is short and easy to understand.
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Check for spelling mistakes.
There is always a chance for you to misspell certain words, especially if you have prepared a cover letter in just a short amount of time. Thus, you should thoroughly check it for spelling errors. To do that, you can read your cover letter a lot of times,. Aside from that, you can also make use of some tools for it.
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Express your long term interest in the job you are applying for.
In preparing your cover letter, you need to let your potential employer get the idea that you are interested in working for him for a long term engagement. Keep in mind that most employers do not want to go through a hiring process all the time. Thus, if you can subtly express your long term interest, then you would be able to improve your chances for it.
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Never complain about your previous employer in your cover letter.
It is never a good idea to complain about your previous employer either in your cover letter or in your job interview. This is because, your potential employer would think that you can also do the same thing, if you decide to leave them. Focus on writing positive statements in your cover letter, so that the reader would have a more pleasant time in going through it.
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Your cover letter and your resume has different purposes.
When you are in the process of writing your cover letter, you should always keep in mind that it has a different purpose as your resume. In other words, even if you want to make it in a way that it is related to your resume, you should not depend on your resume to do the work in convincing the employer to give you a chance. Your cover letter is your chance to elaborate on your qualifications and skills, which would become the reasons why you are fit for the job.
- What happens when you express negative things in your cover letter. Expressing negative things in your cover letter, such as complaining about your previous jobs, can jeopardize your chances in getting the job you want. This is because it can make your potential employer think that you are ungrateful, unappreciative, and disloyal. Aside from that, it can also make him realize that he does not want you on his team.
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Attention grabbing statements.
At the first paragraph of your cover letter, you should make use of attention grabbing statements. However, you should not use such statements just for the sake of grabbing the attention of your reader. The statements should be relevant to the job that you are applying for, so that the person reading it would be captivated.
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Focus on your strengths.
Cover letters should express your strengths, instead of your weaknesses. It should not make its reader picture you as someone who is desperate, needy, and weak. Position yourself as an excellent choice for your potential employer by focusing on your strengths, so that you would make him believe that you should be given a chance.