Do I Need A Cover Letter?
The ultimate question when applying for a job, answered in this post along with tips and tricks
Cover letters are loved and hated by recruiters and hiring managers around the world. Some enjoy reading them while others wish applicants have not sent them in the first place. If you’re looking to apply for a job and don’t know whether to send a cover letter or not, this post will help you out.
In this article, we’ll talk about when to send a cover letter, what to include in one as well as excellent tips to help you create and perfect yours.
When To Include A Cover Letter
Not all job applications will require you to submit a cover letter, and you can easily check this by carefully reading the listing’s description. Some recruiters or hiring managers will write on the post if a cover letter needs to be sent with your resume, but if you don’t see any details about this, you’re not required to send a cover letter.
If you want to make a good first impression, feel free to submit a cover letter, unless the job listing specifically says to please not do it.
Not all recruiters are big fans of cover letters, with some thinking that by reading only your resume they know everything they need to know about you, and others affirming that cover letters are the perfect way to get to know you personally.
You can take a look at the company’s values to get an understanding of what they care about the most, which can be found on their website typically. If they look for responsible, polite, and attentive candidates or partners, sending them a cover letter can help them see you as a great applicant.
What To Include In A Cover Letter
After you decide to include your cover letter, it is time to determine what you’re going to write in your document. Cover letters are no longer than five paragraphs, with short, and cohesive sentences.
Think of a cover letter as an extension of your resume, in which you can highlight a few of your skills and abilities without accidentally duplicating your actual resume.
Here’s a brief list of what to include in a cover letter:
Information about you. Your full name, and contact details, like your phone number, professional email address, city, and state.
Date. Add the date when you’re about to send your cover letter, even if you wrote it a few days ago.
Recruiter’s information. If you have the chance to get your recruiter’s contact details, make sure to add them. This includes their full name, position, and professional email address. You can call the company or email them if you don’t have this information.
Proper salutation. You can address the recruiter by their last name (Dear Mr./Dear Mrs), or, if you don’t know their last name, simply write Dear Prospective Employer.
First paragraph. You can use this section to tell the recruiter how you came across the job listing.
Second paragraph. After you write about finding the job listing, begin telling the hiring manager about your skills, abilities, and expertise, and how they relate to the position and can make you a suitable candidate.
Third paragraph. The third paragraph can be used to describe your soft skills, such as being a good listener, great at working with others, being a rapid learner, and similar.
Closing. In the end, you can express your enthusiasm about the job opportunity and where/how recruiters can contact you for a possible interview. Finish your cover letter with a polite thank you variation.
Cover Letter Writing Tips
It is not hard to write a cover letter, and you don’t need to be applying for the fanciest job or have the best writing abilities. But, there are some tips and tricks worth knowing to write a good cover letter that will get you hired every time.
Proofread & edit. Never, and I repeat, never, send a cover letter without proofreading and editing it first.
Write a cover letter template you can easily edit. If you’re going to apply to several jobs at the same time, write a sample cover letter you can edit in seconds. This means, writing a generic cover letter so you can add important details whenever you’re going to apply for a job (recruiter’s contact information, information about that specific job listing, etc).
Choose a classic & standard cover letter design. When writing your cover letter, keep the design classic and standard. Avoid adding too many colors or even shapes that can distract recruiters from the information written.
Other tips that will help you learn how to write a cover letter have to do with the vocabulary used. Although you’re not writing a college text, it is important to use the proper vocabulary when creating a cover letter. This will show recruiters that not only you’re a smart person, but also that you know how to properly address people and speak professionally.
Finally, it is recommended that you ask for feedback on your cover letter. Whether it is from a family member, friend, teacher, or if you have connections, a hiring manager. This will help you improve your writing and see if your cover letter writing method can actually help you get hired or not.
Cover Letter For Job Applications Conclusion
In this post, we talked about when it is appropriate to send a cover letter accompanied by your resume.
Some job applications might not include much information about certain requirements apart from uploading your resume, and this includes if you can or can’t send your cover letter. Apart from this, we shared valuable cover letter writing tips and tricks so you can nail your applications in any industry you want.
Sending a cover letter is always desirable unless the job listing explicitly says not to. With the help of this post, you can improve your cover letter writing in a short period.