So you’ve finally graduated and got your diploma, congratulations. Now, the real test of your life begins. From this point on, you are a part of a bigger world, one that will not allow you to take remedial exams when you fail. The real world tests what you learned from school and if you are to survive it, you must use all that you have in your disposal.
Part of the priorities in the real world is finding a real job. If you’re aiming to be a professional, whether corporate or industrial, you have to sell yourself first. By this, you need to have a polished resume and most of all, you need to top it all off with a nice, professional cover letter.
Cover Letters: Your Best Foot Forward
Cover letters are sort of introductory letters to the companies that you are applying to. They are one page in length, at most, and is essentially your “attention getting” medium to the employer. A cover letter is not the same as your resume. While a resume details your schooling, experiences, and your qualifications for the job that you are applying, a cover letter is designed so that your prospective employer will get to see a glimpse of your personality; in this regard, a cover letter is very important and may very well spell the difference between getting that important job interview, or having your resume sent to the trash bin. A cover letter is often the earliest contact that you will have with your future employer and as such, you have to make it so that he or she will be impressed and be interested with who you are and what you have to offer.
While your resume is the technical part of your application, your cover letter is the one that will draw your employers in so they’ll actually look at your resume. Just as a buyer will get enticed by a product if it has great packaging, so should a cover letter convince your future employer that your application deserves their perusal and not be eaten up by the trash bin. Remember that the cover letter reflects you; you have to make it as clean and as error-free as possible.
The Three Kinds of Cover Letters
Roughly, there are three kinds of cover letters and they cover the three kinds of job applications in any industry. They are:
The Application Letter. The application letter is the most commonly used cover letter in the market, and one that you will most probably make the most, if you’re job hunting. It is made when you want to submit an application to a known opening. Generally, it is a response to a want ad.
The advantage to this type of cover letter is that you will be able to accurately show off your qualifications since you already know what the position is and what is required of it. In effect, you will be able to sell yourself properly, without fearing that you might sell yourself short.
The Prospecting Letter. The prospecting letter is more of like a “testing the waters” kind of cover letter. If you don’t know whether the company is hiring your kind of field, of if you just want to try out for that company, regardless of any specific position, then this is the cover letter that you should write. The prospecting letter is more proactive than the application one. Where the application letter answers the needs of the company, the prospecting letter is more of like hard-selling yourself by convincing them that they need someone of your talents.
The Networking Letter. The networking letter is kind of like the prospecting letter, but it has the added edge of bringing up the name of someone your prospective employer knows. Call it name-dropping, but it essentially gives you an edge over the other applicants. The networking letter is the product of networking with other people, which many experts say is the best and most effective method of job-hunting.
Regardless of what kind of cover letter you’re making, know that they essentially adhere to a certain format. They are divided into:
The header. Cover letters, like most professional letters, follow the standard business letter style. Therefore, it includes the sender’s address and other information, the contact information of the recipient and the addresses.
The body. The body is divided as follows: the first paragraph should state the reason why you’re writing, the position you’re aiming for, and why you are interested with it. The second paragraph states why you’re qualified for it. The body is where you have to do the selling. They have to be convinced that you are indeed the person they want. Depending on how articulate you are, this may very well be the longest paragraph in your letter. The final paragraph is the closing. Here, you will refer them your attached resume and request an interview. Most of all, do not forget to thank the reader for his or her time.
The closing. You will put here the valediction and the signature line.
Tips in Writing Your Cover Letter
In writing your cover letter, it pays to remember some helpful tips:
Research the company and the specifics of the position you’re applying.
Avoid too many sentences that start with “I”. Avoid passive descriptions and instead make it active. Remember that you need dynamism so your prospective employer will not be bored with it.
Avoid contractions.
Keep it error-free! Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and incorrect punctuations are out of the question. Remember, you are trying to impress them, not make them laugh at you.
Keep the letter short and simple, but to the point. Don’t use elaborate words when simple ones will do.
Use good quality paper, both for your letter and envelope. Avoid scented stationeries with drawings and images, no matter how cute you think they are. You’re writing a professional letter, not a love letter.
Remember that you are trying to make a first great impression. Succeed in that and you will always be at the back of their minds, leading to your consideration and eventual hiring.