Honey Mag

Having an amazing cover letter is a great way to peak the interest of a potential employer. Most hiring managers don’t have a lot of time so having a cover letter that is brief, straight to the point, and creative is key. The cover letter should be viewed as a personal extension of your resume.  Cover letter perfection is extremely important because first impressions are everything.

Tips For Writing a Cover Letter:

Step 1-Standard Format

Your cover letter should be typed in standard business format and personalized to directly address the person receiving your letter. Whatever you do, make sure you spell the persons name correctly.

Step 2-Personalize

Hiring managers can smell a generic cover letter from a mile away. Tailor your cover letter for each company that you apply for. It shows that you cared enough to take the time and effort to do so.

Step 3- Opening Sentence

Remember that your opening sentence is the most important because it will determine if they even want to read the rest. You should start by stating what position you are interested in and why. The way that you say it will depend on the job.  If the job is at a creative agency that prides itself on more of a lax work environment you may want to open with something a little humorous or even with a question. If it is a corporate job then stick with more of a standard format.

Step 4- Be Clear

Use this as an opportunity to highlight your attributes that may be useful to the organization and remember to state why you like the organization.  While you do want to show how great you are, you also don’t want to come off too self absorbed so try and be careful about the words that you choose when describing yourself.  Whatever you do, do not repeat your resume word for word. Your cover letter should be a creative extension of your resume and not your resume itself.

Step 5- Closing Statement

When writing your closing statement make sure that you include your next plan of action. Make sure that you thank them for taking the time to read your cover letter and resume and let them know that you will follow up with them. This way it shows that you are driven without being too aggressive.

Extra Tips:

• Have a mentor read your letter before you send it

• Attend a cover letter and resume writing class to perfect your skills

• Thoroughly research the company before you write the letter