A cover letter for a job application must be
short, general in nature, and capture the attention of
the reader.
short, mentioning your skills, personal likes and
dislikes.
short, specific, and must capture the attention of the
reader.
short and clearly mention why you like the job you are
applying for.
Answers
Answer:
Job applicants use cover letters to signal their interest in the job to a potential employer. After reading the cover letter, the recruiter should know what your qualifications are and why you are interested in the job. Ideally, the cover letter should give them a precise impression of you as a worker – even without having to leaf through the rest of your documents.
For classic applications with multiple documents, the cover letter is the first page. If you design your cover letter convincingly and set the right priorities, the recipient will be more willing to deal with your application in more detail. Otherwise, your application will be put “ad acta” without being properly perused.
Tip
Do not confuse a cover letter with a motivational letter. Although the two documents are similar in some respects, they differ in their focus. While the cover letter briefly outlines all the points that are important in an application, in a motivation letter you primarily describe your personal goals and motives that prompted you to apply. Letters of motivation also give the author even more freedom with regard to formulation and structure than cover letters. For the latter, a certain structure is now standard.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter, also known as a covering letter or application letter, is a one-page document that introduces a job seeker’s work history, professional skills, and personal interest in applying for a job.
Although it might seem old fashioned in 2020, cover letters are still necessary.
The point of your cover letter is to expand upon the achievements in your resume, showcase your personality, and explain why you’d be a good fit for the company. Overall, your cover letter (paired with your resume) helps managers and recruiters screen your job application.
What to include in your cover letter
When writing your cover letter, you must use the following basic structure:
Introduction: Carefully written to grab the hiring manager’s attention and explain why you want the job.
Body paragraphs: At least two paragraphs detailing your relevant education, skills, work experience, and suitability for the job.
Conclusion: A concise ending that reiterates your strengths, and asks the hiring manager to contact you (known as a call to action).
This cover letter writing guide will teach you how to write each of those sections step-by-step, with examples showing exactly what to say. You may need these additional resources to assist you, depending on what stage your cover letter is in:
I haven’t started writing: find a free Microsoft Word cover letter template that suits your sense of style. Or instantly download a simple one here.
I’ve already started writing: consult this library of cover letter examples by industry (for those with work experience), or entry-level cover letters (for those who are students or recent graduates).
If you’re pressed for time, consider using a cover letter builder to finish the writing process in less than 15 minutes, or follow our sample cover letter template to quickly write a letter that works for most job applications. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a perfectly formatted and persuasive cover letter that will look like this:
labeled example explaining how to write a cover letter
How to write the perfect cover letter
When it comes to writing a perfect cover letter, job seekers tend to have many questions. What should I put in my cover letter? How exactly should I say it? How much detail should I include? We answer all of those questions below.
Step 1: Put your contact details (and the employer’s) in the header
Contact Details
At the top of your cover letter, you should type:
Your first and last name
Your email address (make sure it’s professional, and not [email protected])
Your phone number
Your mailing address (Optional)
Your Linkedin profile link (Optional)
Under your contact details, you should type:
Today’s date
The first and last name of the person you’re writing to, or the relevant department
The company’s address
The company’s phone number
The hiring manager or company’s email address
Here’s an example of how that could look, depending on the template you choose:
cover letter header example
To save time, just download a cover letter template and fill in the information.
Step 2: Address the hiring manager by their name
Opening Salutation
Make a great first impression by addressing your cover letter to a real person using their name. Robotic and impersonal greetings like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam” will come off as lazy and insincere.
Not sure who to address? Try checking the company website, searching Linkedin, or even calling or emailing human resources to ask. If you’re still having problems addressing your cover letter, follow these tips:
If you’re not certain about the recruiter’s title (like Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.,) you can drop it from your salutation. For instance, “Dear Jane Smith” is acceptable.
If you can’t figure out who the recruiter is, you can guess. For instance, if you’re applying for a marketing position, you can address the marketing director by name instead.
If you can’t find anyone’s name, you can address it to the department. For instance, “Dear Marketing Department” is acceptable.
Good examples of opening salutations
Dear Jane Smith
Dear Ms. Smith
Dear Accounting Department
Dear [Company Name] Recruiter
Step 3: Hook the hiring manager with a strong introduction
Intro Paragraph
Job seekers agonize over how to start their cover letters, but it’s actually quite simple. A successful cover letter introduction must include the following:
Job position: The name of the position you’re applying for
Company name: The name of the company you’re applying for
Intention to apply: An enthusiastic announcement that you’re applying for that position
So long as your cover letter’s opening lines have those ingredients, you’ll successfully hook the hiring manager into reading more. Here’s an example of an acceptable cover letter introduction.