Tips on Writing a Cover Letter

Tips on Writing a Cover LetterTips on Writing a Cover LetterMany job seekers believe that writing a titel letter is no longer necessary. Those people are wrong.Far from a thing of the past, the often overlooked cover letter is a key self-promotional tool for creative job seekers - especially in a competitive employment market. Check out behauptung eight tips for writing a cover letter1. Keep it briefMore isnt always better when writing a cover letter. The best ones are customized and concise. Hiring managers with myriad applications to review dont have the time (or patience) to wade through your life story. Three to four straightforward paragraphs should suffice. Write an attention-grabbing introduction succinctly highlight your top skills, accomplishments and attributes and explain why youre a good fit for the specific role.2. Offer fresh informationDont just rehash your resume. Expand upon your most relevant selling points and direct the hiring manager to a particularly powerful p iece in your portfolio. If youre out of work, call attention to the ways youre keeping your skills sharp, by attending industry conferences or taking professional development courses, for example. Highlighting any recent freelance or pro bono work that youve done can allay an employers concerns about a resume gap.SEARCH JOBS3. Be confident, bedrngnis cockyEmployers expect job candidates to use the cover letter to toot their own horn. (Thats the whole point, right?) But some job seekers go overboard with the self-celebration. Instead of bragging about being the worlds best UX designer or a marketing superhero, provide concrete information that conveys your value and impact. Bold statements are OK, as long as you back them up with facts.4. Dont overshare when writing a cover letterShowing some personality is generally fine, but keep the focus on your career. Some job seekers seem to mistake the cover letter for a journal entry. Stick to pertinent facts and omit personal details unrela ted to your ability to perform the job. For instance, this real-life applicants admission surely left hiring managers scratching their heads My problems with excessive perspiration started in high school.5. Make no demandsZero in on what you can do for the employer, not what you hope to gain from the company. Its both presumptuous and off-putting to cite salary demands before youve even landed a phone or video interview. The same goes for bringing up the perks and benefits you expect.6. Name namesAddress your letter to the person hiring for the position rather than using a generic salutation such as Dear Employer or To Whom It May Concern. If the job ad doesnt mention whom to contact, be proactive and call the company. Ask for the hiring managers name and job title. This extra effort to tailor your pitch demonstrates resourcefulness and ensures that your letter will make it to the right person.7. Take your timeWriting a cover letter without carefully proofreading it for typos and cl arity is worse than not submitting one at all. If youre careless with your cover letter, an employer can only assume youd be equally inattentive on the job. Dont sink your chances in a mad rush to get your application materials into a hiring managers hands.8. Follow directionsEmployers often provide specific instructions in the job ad, such as submitting your resume and cover letter in a certain file format or referencing the job title or requisition number. Before you upload your letter or hit the send button, reread the job posting to make sure youve done everything the employer asked. No matter how impressive your cover letter, failing to follow basic directions will raise red flags.