Step By Step How To Write A Cover Letter For A Resume
Sometimes, a resume is only ever as good as its cover letter. And that is because a cover letter can explain why exactly the person has your resume in his or her hands. Your resume should contain vital personal information that could get you hired. However, a well written cover letter can also impress the hiring company enough to give your resume a second or even third read. So what makes a good cover letter? There are several elements to consider. Here is a guide or a step by step how to write a cover letter for a resume.
1. Make some research about the company you are sending your resume and cover letter to. One way of impressing your potential reader is acquiring enough background knowledge of the company in question. Make sure you get pertinent details correctly. These details include: the company address; the exact name of the person you are sending the documents to (no misspelling on the names, please); his or her job title (i.e. Head of the HR Department); etc. Additionally, it might work on your advantage to know the company’s office hours and their department phone numbers. This will be explained later on.
2. Choose the letter style befitting of the position you are applying for. A full-blocked cover letter is always good, which shows formality in every aspect. Make sure that you know what to place in headings and salutations. Also, indentation between paragraphs should be carefully placed. For example, you know how many line indentations you should place between the salutation and the body of the letter. You should also know where you need to place your contact info, and what salutations or closing lines you should use. An aesthetically pleasing cover letter has better chances of being read than a disorganized one without form or style. This also implies that you are a detail-oriented person, which is always a bonus.
3. After salutations, you need to express immediately the reason why you are writing the cover letter. Brevity is important, as with clarity with the words you are using. Immediately state where you found out about the open position and cite your sources. After that, you need to list down the reasons as to why they should hire you for the job. Try to expound some of the details in your resume without really copying anything verbatim. If possible, you could do write one paragraph enumerating the desired qualities the company is looking for; and then the next paragraph enumerates your skills and previous work experiences that can match those qualities.
4. Remember about the part where you should acquire the company’s office hours and their phone numbers? This will work particularly well when you write a proactive closing line for your cover letter. You could add that you will call during a specific time to see if anything positive is gained from your document submission. This will imply two things. One: by knowing who and when to call, means you are interested enough to research the company. Two: by taking the prerogative to find out the results on your own, means that you are a person on action. Both are very positive signs of a good employee.
