Your cover letter is your first impression and your first chance to stand out from the crowd; so it needs to be well-crafted. It tells the employer what position you are applying for and gives you a shot to sell yourself and your credentials. The trick is to make it interesting to read, enough to capture the interest of your prospective employer. Here are five tips to help breathe life into your cover letter:

1. Names, don’t ever forget names. Job ads often include the name of the contact person or the hiring manager. Always use it to avoid creating a form letter (Dear Sir/Madam can put off certain people) and make sure you have spelled it correctly. If no contact names were provided, do a little research through company sites or call them; ask for the person’s name, its correct spelling and how the person should be addressed (Mr., Ms. or other appropriate salutation). If you are unsure, then ask about it. It is important to begin your application with correct information. After all, addressing someone Mr. when they should be a Ms. may not be a good idea.

2. Cover letters are complements to your resume, so don’t echo it. A cover letter is the curtain raiser of your whole application that should pique an employer’s interest. You can easily do this by coming up with witty phrases that highlight important qualifications found in detail in your resume. Use creative and persuasive language to convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job.

3. Show your enthusiasm and interest not only in the job but also in the company. It is always a plus to show your knowledge about the company in your cover letter. This is a sign of your interest, diligence and commitment to your work. Use descriptive terms to demonstrate your enthusiasm.

4. Don’t make it overly long. The best cover letters can be as short as two to three paragraphs. The goal is to create an impact while being brief and to the point at the same time.

5. Make your cover letter look professional or it will get passed over. Standard guidelines should be followed in formatting and typeface. Remember, there’s no excuse for errors in spelling and grammar. Read it thoroughly before you send it; better still ask a friend to do the same. Don’t just rely on your spellchecker!

The employer has dozens of resumes to go through and each will be scanned briefly. Your best bet is to create a compelling cover letter that helps bring you closer to your dream job. Win them over today!

Tags: cover letter, hiring manager, Hiring Managers, Interview, interviews, job, Job Search, job skills, job tips, jobs, Resume, resume advice, resume help, resume re-write, resumes

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 8:20 am and is filed under Applying for a Job, Cover Letters, Job Search Tips, Resume Help. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.