You have the world’s best written CV/ Resume, clearly elucidating your high end experience, successful career and exemplary work ethics. But if your cover letter is uninspiring, your CV may not even get a cursory once over. The sad fact is that the cover letter rarely gets the attention it richly deserves, with most job hunters choosing instead to spend hours writing and revising their CVs. Use these tips to transform your cover letter into the most convincing teaser preview for your CV.
Does your Cover Letter Read Like Junk Mail?
If you have one single cover letter that you send to all prospective employers irrespective of the jobs applied for, it is probably treated like junk mail. Invest the time and effort in tweaking your standard cover letter to match the organization that you are applying to and the job you want. Of course, if you need to rewrite the entire letter do not hesitate to do so. Remember that your cover letter should hook the recruiter’s attention and retain it with promise of more to come in the CV.
Hint at How your Credentials Match the Recruiter’s Needs
It is your CV that will convince the recruiter that you are the perfect person for his job but the cover letter needs to lay the groundwork for this. Your cover letter should use a brief overview of your skill sets, experience, qualifications and mention how these are perfectly in line for the job applied for. This shows that you have done your research about the job before making the application. It also shows that you know what kind of skills the job is likely to require.
What better way to make a great first impression than with a cover letter that reveals your initiative and enthusiasm for the job as well as your ‘industry’ knowledge?
Never Use Long Winded Sentences, When You Can Be Brief
This sub- heading is exactly the kind of sentence that should never appear in your cover letter. Keep things brief without sacrificing relevance. After all, your CV will talk about all your skills, experience, capabilities and achievements in detail. Your cover letter may mention the skills most relevant to the job you are applying for and highlight major achievements but no more.
The Right Place for Mentioning References
If you have references, the cover letter is the place to mention them. Use your references only if you are sure that they will make a difference of some kind to the recruiter. However, avoid harping on them at all costs. You want to show why and how you are the best choice for the job. The recruiter should never get the feeling that the reference is the only reason for picking you.
A simple, well written, cohesive cover letter tells the recruiter that you can express yourself accurately without wasting his time. It gives him all the information he needs in a nutshell so that he can determine if it is worth his while to read your CV.
You can also hire a CV writer to make your cover letter more professional and flawless.