Learning how to write a winning cover letter is easy and so important! We have 10 simple steps to show you how to write an awesome cover letter so that you stand out when applying for your next job. Apply for you next job with confidence.
- Provide your contact details at the top of the Cover Letter - make it easy for an Employer to contact you! These should not take up half the page either. Just list them in a couple of lines. Be sure to include your first and last name, do not worry about your middle name, a contact phone number (do not provide multiple numbers, just one will do), and your address.
- Personalize the Cover Letter by using the Company name AND the name of the person in the company if possible. Take the time to address the letter to the person who will be reading it. This shows that you are prepared to pay attention to detail. Many people do not do this, so by making sure that you do, you are already showing that you are better than your competition!
- State the job title and reference number of the job. The company may be filling more than one role. This is usually stated in the job ad. Look for it and use it. Again this shows excellent attention to detail and will suggest that you will be an efficient employee!
- Customer your Letter and make sure you match the skills and experiences in the job ad. If the job ad requests for someone to be enthusiastic, make sure you tell them that you are enthusiastic. If it requests for someone with good people skills, make sure you state that you have good people skills. Use the same words that they have used. This is a sure-fire way to ensure that you tick the boxes and get short-listed.
- ALWAYS state your key qualifications such as degrees, diplomas and certificates. If you have them you must boast about them! Sure they are in your Resume, but you MUST mention them in your cover letter too. Do not leave them guessing, tell them your strong points.
- ALWAYS state how many years of experience you have in a similar role. Do not wait for them to figure it out from your Resume, tell them how many years you have. The more the better. You do not need to be exact, you can say things like over 5 years, or almost 3 years.
- Describe your current job and the main duties you perform. Again try to match the duties to the duties that they have listed in their job ad where possible.
- Sell Yourself! Include some compelling reasons why you are perfect for the job. Are you highly productive, a great communicator, highly experienced with skills that match the job perfectly?
- In your closing sentence, you need to have a Call To Action - request an interview or a time to meet.
- Finally, check your Cover Letter length. It should not be longer than 1 page.
