The Essentials of a Great Cover Letter

A great cover letter can open the door for a vast array of different jobs. Considering the fact that so many people are applying for the same jobs these days, it’s important to spend all the time that you can preparing a cover letter that will make a difference. If you’ve never written a great cover letter before and have, as many others have, paid more attention to the resume, you might be surprised that a cover letter is so important. Fortunately, with a few essential tips you can be well on your way to creating a winning letter that will help you get a new job.

A great cover letter starts with a good attention to detail. The most important thing you should remember before you send your cover letter out is to carefully check the grammar and spelling. Read it out loud if you have to because sometimes you won’t be able to catch errors just by re-reading it to yourself. Double and triple check the writing because it can make a difference in whether or not you’re called in for an interview.

Another important aspect is the length. A great cover letter should be short and sweet. Don’t write over one page and don’t fill the entire page. It’s not supposed to be a novel about your past job experience. You can save the detailed explanations for the interview. Think of your cover letter like a short preview of your resume and interview. In a movie preview, you get the basic gist of the plot and who the characters are, but you don’t get the full story until you see the movie.

A great cover letter is also defined by the tone that you use when you are writing it. You have to keep in mind that you want to show the potential employer what is in it for them if they hire you. Sure, it’s great that you have five years of experience in sales – but what does that mean for the employer. Play up your skills in terms of what you’ll be able to do for them, and they’ll be able to see how you will fit into their current corporate picture.

Tone is also important in terms of professionalism in you cover letter. Your cover letter should be as straight forward as possible, but still let your personality show through. A great cover letter walks the line between dry and boring and totally wacky. Many applicants these days are making use of a technique called the passion paragraph that allows you to explain exactly why you want the job and what you can offer the company. A passion paragraph can be a bit less formal, but make sure that the overall tone of the letter is professional.

By following these techniques when you write, you’ll be destined to have a great cover letter.

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