9 Tips to Write the Best Cover Letter
How many times have you copy pasted something from online to your cover letter when applying for a job?
These nine tips have helped me personally to write some good letters over the years.
I haven’t had the need to look for some help online. These nine tips can cover the desired outcome which is simply to get hired or pass the shortlisting round and move forward!
So take your time to answer some of these questions into related answers the next time you applying for a job or just feel like practicing.
1- What is your key message you want to convey to the employer?
Is it how your education is a match to this job? Could it be how your previous job is a match to this job you applying for?
Whatever is, make sure you start your cover letter with.
Conclude with referring to the advertisement of the position you applying for.
Use something like “with reference to the advertised position on …. please accept my candidature for the post of…”
2- What are your 3 main strengths relevant to the job role?
This is the second most important tip.
Narrow your top skills into three and describe them. Make sure its what they are looking for.
You can easily find out what the top skills the hiring managers are looking for by simply studying the job description.
3- How would the company benefit from hiring you?
a major mistake people do is writing about their skills. Only.
Hiring managers don’t want just that.
Write about what will you bring if you’re hired.
A simple way to write this is to write what the first 90 days will be like if you won the position. Don’t exaggerate and make it a two or three lines.
4- Use a positive tone
Use language that shows your enthusiasm for the opportunity. You should also show gratitude for the reader’s consideration.
Always practice reading out loud your letter before sending it. This way you’d find out how the letter is voiced.
It may sounds positive, or tired or not much interested. Depending on how you write. So write clearly. Avoid acronyms (unless the job skills has acronyms).
Typically, you conclude your letter with a simple gesture like wishing every one being safe (in this pandemic times) or simply say thank you for reading.
This allows the reader to know you are being genuine. Human touch always wins!
5- Always use the active voice
By active voice, I mean using powerful verbs that directly engage the reader and compel them to consider your qualifications.
This will significantly boost the strength of your personal statement.
Instead of writing something like “I was working on” try saying “I worked as a team member or I led the following tasks”.
6- Be unique
The personal statement or cover letter should be unique to you.
Therefore, you should discuss what makes you different from other candidates.
It’s okay to mention what awards you received. It makes you stand out.
Similarly, try to include one thing that set you different from other candidates.
7- Ensure every paragraph you write is relevant to at least one of the essential criteria from the job specification
The title speaks best. If you are applying for an IT position, its best to narrow your letter to the IT sector both generally and specifically.
Don’t make the mistake of writing your top skills which does not relate to the position.
You’d simply be using more space and it will be ignored.
It’s all about balancing.
Another example here is to write about your skills as medical nurse in your free time and the job is about customer support!
8- Keep the statement positive — use examples
Typically, the second paragraph of your letter.
You can include an example from your current or last job and match it with what the position is about.
Be positive. This means include words that showcase both your technical skills and interpersonal ones like being a team player or working in multicultural environment.
Use enthusiastic and assertive language — replace ‘tried’ to ‘succeed’.
9- Highlight your strengths to the skills in the job!
Usually before concluding your letter, its considered a best-practice to highlight your skills. Yes, again, the skills you talked about earlier. The same ones!
This would make it visible to the reader that you have studied the job and confident about the skills you carry.
Think about your unique selling point. You.
Remember, being rejected doesn’t mean you lack something. It simply means you are meant for something better!
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Thanks for reading!
Sam worked in the profit and non-profit sector. He’s led projects in India, UK, Tanzania and Yemen as a humanitarian worker. He’s also the recipient of the “United Nations Africa Recognition Award” in 2018 for his work in the development sector.
