100 GOOD COVER LETTER TIPS

61. Do not make a cover letter for a job that does not match your experiences and skills.

It may be true that you won’t lose anything in submitting a cover letter and a resume for a job that does not match your experiences and skills. However, you would actually be wasting your time in it. Aside from that, you would also be wasting other people’s time as well.

62. Tailor-fit your cover letter to the job you are applying for.

Although it is helpful if you have a basic format that you can follow in writing a cover letter, it is still best if you tailor-fit it to the job that you are applying for. Doing this would make your cover letter appear more original. Aside from that, it would also increase your chances of getting interviewed, since employers do not like generic letters.

63. Minimize the number of words.

When you write your cover letter, you should minimize the number of words that you include in it. When you think about this while coming up with the letter, you would be able to have a cover letter that is precise and direct to the point. Aside from that, it would also help you in making the whole letter short and easy to comprehend.

64. You can give examples.

When it comes to proving your claims in your cover letter, such as going the extra mile in serving a customer, you can always site examples for it. Just make sure that the example is written in just a short paragraph. In doing this, you are amplifying your desirable trait, which would make your reader remember you more.

65. Become a sales person.

Think of yourself as a sales person when you are writing your cover letter. Think about it as your sales letter, in which you need to convince someone to buy a product. The product here is you, and if you focus on the benefits that they can enjoy in hiring you, then you can increase your chances of being selected.

66. Use action words.

Writing a cover letter should involve the use of action words. This is because, you want it to be active instead of passive. When you make use of action words, the letter’s reader would be able to picture out what you are trying to say better. Aside from that, it can also help them decide in what they need to do next, after reading it.

67. Leave the ball in your potential employer’s court.

In writing and submitting your cover letter, think of it as your action, in which your reader would have to react to. With that, you should come up with a letter that has a call to action. In other words, before ending it, state that you are requesting for an interview. Aside from that, you can also be proactive and state that you are going to make a follow up by giving them a call.

68. The best type of cover letter.

In general, there are three types of cover letters. They are the invited, uninvited, and the referral cover letter. It is best to become more familiar of the different purpose each of the different cover letters has. When you do that, you would be able to identify the best type of cover letter for your situation.

69. Your unique selling proposition.

Some people have no clue about the most important thing that they have to include in the cover letter. It is actually your unique selling proposition. This is where you need to let your potential employer know why you are a better choice for them to make, than the other applicants for the job.

70. Imagine what your employer is thinking.

In order to have a very effective cover letter, you should imagine what the reader is thinking when you are writing it. In most cases, your employer would be thinking about why he should be hiring you. Thus, make sure that your letter provides him the reasons to hire you, so that he would do so.

71. Make your cover letter unique.

If you are going to check on samples of cover letters online, you would find out that most of them would follow basic letter formats. In other words, there would just be 3 or 4 paragraphs in it and such. To make it more unique, you can actually highlight your qualifications or bold them. You can also identify your skills with bullets if you want to. When you do that, the reader would be glad to have something that is different, and it would actually make your letter easier to read.

72. Including references in the cover letter.

There is no need to indicate your references in the cover letter. You only need to indicate them if it is required by the employer. In most cases though, you only need to provide your references when you have already gone through interviews, and that you are at the end stages of the hiring process.

73. Ask your friends for help.

Having a lot of friends would definitely help you in coming up with an excellent cover letter. If you have a friend who is a member of the hiring department of a company, then you can ask him for help in evaluating your cover letter. Let him read your cover letter and make adjustments if they are needed before submitting it.

74. Get to the point in writing your letter.

Writing a cover letter that is effective can be done by getting directly to the point. When you beat around the bush, your potential employer would be tired in reading your lengthy cover letter. This can make him lose interest in your qualifications and skills, which can hinder your chances of getting hired.

75. Using challenging thoughts.

A cover letter with challenging thoughts can increase your chances of getting interviewed by your potential employer. This is because, it can get them convinced that talking to you is worthwhile. Aside from that, it can even make them contact you for an interview, even when they are not planning to hire anyone today.

76. Compliment the company.

If the company that you are applying for has achieved something recently, then you should take note of it. This is because, you can make use of that in your cover letter. Complimenting your potential employer about his company’s recent achievement is a good attention grabber. Thus, you can use it in your opening paragraph, so that the reader would be motivated in reading the entire letter.

77. Don’t hesitate to reconstruct your cover letter.

If your friend has told you that your cover letter needs modifications, and you are convinced that he is correct, then you should not hesitate in doing it all over again. Keep in mind that your cover letter needs to be perfect so that you can land on an interview. With that, it is best to write it as early as possible, so that you won’t be rushing yourself.

78. Your cover letter’s second paragraph.

A good cover letter has to have about 3 to 4 short paragraphs in it. While the first paragraph focuses on getting the attention of the reader, the second should be all about your professional and academic qualifications. This is where you get to provide supplemental information about how the company can benefit in hiring you.

79. You should not sound too presumptuous in your first paragraph.

If you become too presumptuous in your first paragraph, your reader may feel that you are trying to tell him what he needs to do next. This is actually not a good idea, since your employer may resent it. Thus, make sure that you don’t have any statements in your letter that is too presumptuous, so that your chances in getting hired would be good.

80. There is no need to discuss too many things in the cover letter.

Although the cover letter is usually the first thing that an employer would read, there is no need to discuss so many things in it. This is because, it is better if your letter is brief. However, do not put too many limitations on it. Make sure that you can elaborate your skills and qualifications in it, which you cannot do in your resume, so that your employer can see the reasons why they should consider you for the position.