6 important questions to ask yourself when writing a cover letter
Many job seekers tend to view the cover letter as inferior to the resume, thus making one of the worst job search mistakes. Perhaps this is because some people don’t care how a gift is wrapped but what is inside the package. But you know what they say about first impressions, right? Regardless of what you believe, your prospect of landing an interview or a job ends where this letter ends.
However, attaching this document alone will not convince the reader to look at the resume you have attached if the former does not meet certain essential requirements. Writing a good cover letter requires you to ask yourself the following questions:
1. Does it sound like a sales letter?
Suppose you are writing a sales pitch for a product, how would you frame it? What information would it contain? Now consider the product you are selling to a prospective employer. Does your message have the essence and importance necessary for such a letter? Remember that your ability to persuade a potential employer to invite you for an interview is in this document. Think critically about your content and style before you write it.
2. Will the reader be drawn to your letter?
Writing a cover letter involves packing a precious object. The recipient may reject or accept your gift depending on the appearance of the package. Judging by its appearance, can the reader of your text give it priority over the rest? One method of ensuring your document is attractive is to organize it logically. Also, use your word processor’s built-in capabilities to make margins and spacing adequate enough for easy navigation and readability.
3. Are the language and content persuasive enough?
The language of a cover letter is crucial in determining whether your document will be read or ignored. Writing it is not just about using the acceptable form of English, but how you express yourself and the content you offer, as this will influence the reader’s decision to shortlist you for an interview. Borrow a page from a love letter, if you know how to write one.
4. Have you focused on the skills your potential employer is looking for?
Each vacancy announcement indicates the type of skills that are expected of the chosen candidate and its success depends on its content matching this requirement. Knowing how to write a cover letter involves letting the employer know exactly how you fit into the picture. What academic knowledge, training, skills and experiences do you have that match the description of the selected candidate? Your resume may contain many skills, but in this text you only list what is relevant to the job you are applying for.
5. What value will you bring to the organization, if you are an employee?
A cover is a careful balancing act because it is expected to blow its own trumpet but also inform the reader what value it will bring to the company. The focus here shifts to the organization rather than the individual, but within the same charter. Keeping in mind that you are one of many who will be applying for a particular job opening, pay close attention to this section when writing a cover letter.
6. Have you reviewed your cover letter?
Among the most disconcerting and demoralizing aspects of this crucial document are spelling and grammatical errors. It says a lot about your level of carelessness if you send a one-page letter full of glaring typos and spelling errors. For many prospective employers, this is an unforgivable mistake. Do everything you can, including asking someone more proficient in the language, to make sure your letter is error-free.
Every time you sit down to write a cover letter, remember that you are engaging in a business communication with a product to sell to a customer. In this case, you are the seller; the potential buyer is the reader. Your skills and competencies are the product, while your letter is the advertisement. Learn how to write a compelling and presentable cover letter if you want the reader to look at your resume and shortlist you for an interview.