How to write a cover letter

A cover letter is a document that an applicant attaches to his resume in order to present himself and his professional skills from the best side in a more free form. In this article, we’ll show you how to write your cover letter so your employer doesn’t ignore your resume.

In Western countries, a cover letter has long been an integral part of a resume, and its absence is a sign of bad taste. In other countries, such a letter is not mandatory, but recently employers have begun to pay more attention to it. If the cover letter is written logically, competently and contains information that is important for the HR manager, it will certainly become an additional plus for the applicant.

Who needs to write a cover letter for their resume?

• Students, graduates of higher educational institutions, applicants with no work experience. A cover letter for such applicants is a good opportunity to draw the employer’s attention to your resume and show your desire to work in this company.
• Applicants who want to change their professional field of activity and do not have sufficient work experience in it. In this case, the letter will display the existing skills of the applicant and the possibility of their application in a new field, emphasize his motivation, reveal the reasons changes in the world of work.
• Applicants for a position in an international company. HR managers of large firms pay special attention to the applicant’s ability to present themselves. A well-written cover letter dramatically increases the chances of an employer reading your resume and subsequently getting a job.

How to write a cover letter correctly?

First, it should be noted that the cover letter must be written in the language in which the resume was written. English is recommended for international companies.

The letter should be concise and informative. It should be drafted in such a way that the employer forms a clear idea of ​​why his company should choose you.

It doesn’t take much time to design a cover letter, its structure is quite simple.

Basic rules for writing a cover letter

1. First, you need to contact the addressee. Most often, vacancies posted on public Internet resources display information about the contact person – recruiting manager or company executive. In this case, it is best to contact him directly: “Dear David!”; “Hello, Anna!” If the contact details of a company representative are not available, you can get by with the general polite phrase: “Dear employer!” Informal addresses should be avoided.
2. Indicate the source of information about the vacancy : “The site … contains information about the vacancy …”; “I was interested in a vacancy … published on your company’s page in the social network …”. If you find out about a vacancy from an employee of the company, with his permission, you can indicate his full name.
3. Tell us why you want to work for this particular company. For example: “An open vacancy in your company attracts me with the opportunity to work in a creative team and implement large-scale projects.” Here you can also focus on your professional experience, which corresponds to the chosen position: “My experience in the field … is more than … years, so I am confident that I will be able to cope with the tasks assigned to me.”
4. Highlight your professional skills and accomplishments that will set you apart from other candidates. It is better to support your words with examples from professional experience gained in a previous job. Don’t repeat the entire resume, emphasize the main thing.
5. Adapt your skills to the position you have chosen. Your best professional qualities, knowledge and skills should correspond to those that the company is looking for. Highlight the main ones and focus on them, perhaps using the keywords that the company uses to describe the ideal applicant for this position.
6. Don’t forget the numbers. For example, if you were in the past as a department head, indicate how many people you supervise.
7. Provide a list of referrals. By including the contact details of people who can refer you in your cover letter, you will certainly increase your chances of being noticed as an HR manager among other job candidates. Of course, we are talking exclusively about work contacts, personal phone numbers can only be provided with the permission of their owners.
8. Avoid mentioning your career ambitions. Most often, a recruiter is looking for a specialist for a specific position, and your desire to quickly move up the career ladder may scare him away.
9. Don’t fantasize. Describe specific goals that you can actually achieve in your chosen position, given your skills and abilities.
10. Provide up-to-date contact information where the employer can contact you. This data is in the resume, but according to the rules of business etiquette, they must be duplicated in the letter.
11. Thank the employer for the time spent reading your cover letter and consideration for your candidacy. This will reinforce the positive impression you have made of you.

How to design a cover letter

• If the resume is submitted in hard copy, the letter should be placed on a separate sheet.
• If the resume is sent by email, the cover letter text is placed in the body of the email.

Size matters

The text of the cover letter should not exceed the size of the printed A4 page. A letter that is too large may be ignored by the employer or read with less care.