Job Cover Letter Basics
The ability to write a compelling and professional job cover letter can give you the edge when submitting your resume to potential employers. Human Resource departments at top companies may receive dozens, or even hundreds, of resumes for every open position they post. Even if your resume is flawless, you’ll need a top-notch cover letter with it to obtain an interview with the country’s premiere employers.
What is a Job Cover Letter?
With every resume and application you submit, you can include a job cover letter. Contrary to the habits of novice jobseekers, the cover letter is more than a short paragraph saying your cover letter is attached and providing your contact information. Rather, this is your opportunity to convey your personality in a way a formatted resume could never do.
What Should You Include on the Job Cover Letter?
If you have, or an employer could reasonably expect you to obtain, the name of the person who will review your resume, be sure to address it to that person instead of a generic greeting. Standard job cover letter details also include:
- Contact information
- Date
- Experience highlights
- Position of interest
- Source of job lead
- Specific information requested in job posting.
Even if you choose to ignore all other resume and job cover letter advice in favor of a more individual style, be sure to read the application requirements with a careful eye. At times, hiring managers may include unusual requirements for the cover letter to ensure you’re paying attention. If you fail to prove you can follow basic instructions, you may lose the opportunity to interview for your dream job.
Are There Rules for a Job Cover Letter?
Although there are no hard and fast job cover letter rules, it’s advisable to avoid sending out a boiler plate cover letter with every resume. Customization to the role you seek can go a long way in winning the interview, even if you don’t have hours to craft each letter. For a quick – and professional – alternative, follow these steps:
- Create a word processing file for each kind of job cover letter you may need. For example, you may have one for sales positions and one for management roles.
- Leave space for the personalized greeting and date.
- Pull out the most relevant and impressive details from your resume. Limit it to two or three points to avoid overcomplicating your job cover letter.
- Add your contact information and availability.
- Always thank the hiring manager for taking the time to consider your application and restate your interest in the position.
- Save your job cover letter templates.
Once you have a basic template for each type of job you’d like, you can customize it for each application you submit. Instead of a typing a letter from scratch, add the information for the current company and include any special information they request. Even if you must add detailed information, you can still create a winning job cover letter from your template in the time it takes to drink your morning coffee.