Cover letter: how to write one while making the best first impression

 

Writing cover letters can be tricky, right?! So, now that some of you have a bit more time, we thought we would help you improve your cover letter skills. Jessica Andrews works as an Employment Officer at Algonquin College and has helped us put together the following tips.

1-Tailor it

Just like the resume, the cover letter should also be tailored to each job you are applying for. We know that this seems like a lot, but it will show the employer how much you want the job!

2-Address it

Try finding out who is the person you would be working for! “If you can’t find the person that you’re applying to specifically, like their name, put “Dear Hiring Manager”, rather than “to who it may concern,” says Andrews.

3-Keep it simple

Four paragraphs, one page. “You don’t want to send this three-page essay to an employer,” Andrews advises. The body of the letter should highlight your education and the experience that is specific to the position you are applying for.

Instead of using the same words over and over to describe things that you have done, here is a resource with some powerful language that you can explore.

We have also put together a template that will help you out!

4-Research!!!!

A very important tip is to do research on the company you are applying for and write in your cover letter the main reasons why you want to work for that company. “Look at their about us page, their mission statement, values, and their services to find something that resonates with you,” tells Andrews. It does not need to be anything long, two or three sentences at most, to show that you are really interested in their company and to demonstrate how you would fit into their specific organization.

5-Always write a cover letter

Even if a job posting does not ask for it, always send a cover letter with your resume. The cover letter is your opportunity to make your application stand out.

“If there’s an employer who receives two applications and both have similar education, similar experience, but one of them has a super tailored cover letter that really demonstrates how they’re going to fit into the company’s team, the application with a cover letter is going to be more appealing,” says Andrews.

6-The more is not always the merrier

Like they say, applying for a job is really a full-time job, but if you follow those tips, chances are that you will soon get that job you want! Andrews also says that it is better to apply for a few jobs with a tailored resume and cover letter than applying for 50 positions with no tailoring involved.

“You would have better luck I think, than if you just sent a general resume that didn’t have any specific words or keywords.”