How to Write a Cover Letter

A resume should always be accompanied by a cover letter. The cover letter acts as an introduction to your resume and can emphasize or further explain those aspects of your background and skills, which most suit the employer’s needs. It should mention your knowledge of the company and express an understanding of where your abilities could be utilized best. The content of all cover letters follows a certain, standardized format. Be certain to follow this formula.

Cover letters are a collection of smaller parts that serve a very specific purpose. A good cover letter communicates the important information about your experience, your professionalism, and attention to detail.

Contact Information

• Your address should be stated clearly, either as letterhead (Microsoft Word can be used to create your own letterhead), in the top right hand corner of the page, or at the end of the letter below your signature.
• The date that you are writing the letter. This will help to remind you when to follow-up.
• The name of the specific person that your letter is addressed to, and the address of the organization. This information should be on the left margin of the page.

Greeting or Salutation

• The Greeting or Salutation is a key piece of every cover letter. The standard format is to simply write Dear Mr. or Ms. Johnson and follow it with a colon (:), then press enter two times, leaving one full space before beginning the first paragraph.
• Don’t have a contact name? use "To Whom It May Concern"

Introduce the purpose of the letter

• The first paragraph of a cover letter should tell the employer what job you are applying for and where you learned about the position. Then state that you are interested in and qualified for the job. Two or three sentences are the limit for this paragraph. It should simply state the basics and lead into paragraph two.

Describe how your skills and experience match their needs

• The second paragraph is the heart of the cover letter. This is where you match your experience and skills to the requirements in the job ad. Basically, you’re telling the employer that you’re the person that they’re looking for, and giving a few very clear reasons why.
• These few sentences should show your confidence in your ability to do the job. Make sure that you tailor your letter to what the job ad specifically asks for. In other words, if the ad lists experience with Microsoft Office as a requirement, be sure that you mention that you  worked extensively with Word and Excel while working as a clerical temp in your letter.
• Try to match each qualification in the job ad with one of your skills or work experiences. This way, you’ll present yourself as exactly the person that the employers are seeking.

Request an interview

• In the third paragraph you can either state that you would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your experience in more detail and that you hope to hear from them or you can be more aggressive by let them know you will call them to follow up. If you choose this route, make sure that you tell them when you will be calling and then call at EXACTLY that day and time.
• Mention that your resume is enclosed. DON’T FORGET to enclose it. Include your phone number (daytime and evening if they are different). Make it easy for employers to find you.

Conclusion

• Use a standard phrase like "Sincerely". As always, correct grammar and punctuation are crucial, so make sure that only the first word is capitalized, and that you follow with a comma.
• After the comma, hit enter about four times before typing your name. This leaves space on the page for you to sign your name after you print the letter. DON’T FORGET to sign the letter.

After completing these six sections, go back and check your letter for typos, misspelled words, grammatical errors, and awkward phrases. Remember that no Spell Checker catches all errors. Be sure to proof the letter yourself, and/or ask another person to proofread the letter for you. Always doublecheck the spelling of the person’s name to whom the letter is addressed. Then, when you have proofread the letter and edited your original draft, print a final copy on one of  professionally designed stationery templates. Sign the letter. Place the resume behind the cover letter and fold in a tri-fold, with no staples. Now, your Presentation Package is ready to slip into an envelope or e-mail message, into the mail or electronic mail, and into the In-Box of your prospective employer!

More tips on cover letter writing:

• Great Cover Letter
• Engineer Cover Letter
• Resume Writing Services
• Teacher Cover Letter
• How To Write A Cover Letter
• Jimmy Sweeney Cover Letters
• Receptionist Job Cover Letter

Now, get to work, and get some resumes and cover letters out there! Start here:

A resume cover letter must not be more then a page and must include 3 steps in explaining the purpose of writing the cover letter and your interest in a particular employment opportunity.

Your resume cover letter must contain Introduction, Explanation and Conclusion. The Introduction part contains Your Name, Mailing Address, Email id, Phone Numbers (Primary, Secondary). Make sure you have a good, solid introduction and that you demonstrate interest in the job and company. Paying attention to both these elements can help make your cover letter noticeable.

The most important part of the letter is the body, which is about three spaces below the heading. Don’t forget to mention the specific position you are applying for your sincere intentions of joining the company. Of course, you need to include a summary of your qualifications and other personal information that may be relevant to the position. In the last part of your body, don’t forget to include a request for an interview and thank the employer for his time. Also mention that you have your resume and other credentials attached.

Your last step to achieve that coveted resume cover letter is the conclusion part, what you think finally will make the hiring manager call you for the interview will mainly depend on how you conclude your job cover letter. You have explained what you have to offer and now you need to give him much insight to your profile by hinting him to read your resume to check what you have done till date and how beneficial it is to call you for the interview. End it with regards to him for taking time to read the your credentials.

If you are still unsure of how to write cover letters, there are many wonderful online resources available that can guide you in the process. The easiest way to get your killer cover letter is to use a piece of software like the Amazing Cover Letter Creator. You can literally point and click your way through, and out will come your killer cover letter - in minutes. 

A good cover letter can pique the interest of a potential employer, even before they have browsed through your resume. It can really give you an edge over other applicants. Even if you have the best qualifications, another applicant with a well written cover letter may be interviewed first, and thus has a greater chance of landing the job. So it’s absolutely imperative that you spend time crafting a quality cover letter that grabs attention and makes you stand out amongst all the other candidates.

Fortunately, writing a cover letter doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are some easy and effective tips on how to write a cover letter…

In writing your cover letter, you should make it as compact as possible, but catchy and appealing. Who wouldn’t get tired of reading stereotyped or canned cover letters? Use the KISS principal (Keep It Simple Stupid). An effective cover letter is short, sweet, and to the point. Your cover letter should never be more than 1 page and should never be overly wordy.

The opening paragraphs of the cover letter should contain a summary of the contents of your job application: whether it is a filled-out application form, curriculum vitae, or some other documents. Enumerating the contents of your application allows your prospective employer to know what exactly to expect from the accompanying documents. Start your cover letter off with a bang by putting the most impressive material first. Do not assume the reader will go through your complete cover letter. You must grab their attention form the very first line.

The next two to three paragraphs (the body of the cover letter) should convey that you are competent for the job. Mention the job requirements as well as the job description; and then mention your training, job experiences, and your skills that would be suited to the job.

Try to draw out the implication of how you are suited to the job you are applying for. without blatantly selling yourself. Just make the right connections between the aspects of the job description you are mentioning, and your specific skills matching the job.

Lastly, the closing paragraph should part on an affable note. Convey that you look forward to hearing from, and working with, the company you are applying to. Express your thanks for the opportunity to possibly work with them.

Take the initiative to contact the employer after they receive your cover letter. Remind the employer that you are a prospective candidate and ask about the status of the job.

Always check your cover letter for spelling mistakes. Do not let your chance of getting the job slip away by making silly spelling mistakes. Do a spell-check on your computer then print the cover letter and re-check the hard copy for mistakes. Also, since it is often difficult to find your own spelling mistakes make sure to ask someone else to read your cover letter as well. A fresh set of eyes can help pick out those mistakes.

Re-read your cover letter after a couple of days. Once you have completed your cover letter put it away for a couple of days and then go back and re-read your cover letter. You’ll be surprised at what you discover.

If you don’t know how to get started with writing a cover letter, these cover letter templates will be able to assist you. They would serve as guides so you know how to format your letter, and where to write specific information. If you’ll just follow a cover letter template, you’ll be able to organize your ideas well, and within minutes, you’ll have a well written cover letter. There are a myriad of guides available on how to write a cover letter, providing effective letter templates, use them!