While looking for a job, everyone tends to concentrate on developing a good resume and forgets about the significance of writing a cover letter at all. Often in job applications, companies request uploading resumes only, and therefore beginners do not know anything about cover letters and their significance in the hiring process. In order to facilitate this process for readers, I have tried to make my guide simple and accessible for beginners.
What is cover letter?
As opposed to a resume where skills and accomplishments are emphasized, a cover letter offers an opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills, passion for the position, and characteristics that cannot be captured using bulleted lists. In addition, it enables recruiters to know more about you, apart from what you have achieved in your studies and experience.
A good cover letter can make a great first impression on recruiters since it demonstrates your true passion for the particular job position. Unfortunately, most beginners have challenges in crafting a good cover letter, as they lack knowledge on how to write such letters.
How to write a cover in 6 steps:
Step1: Read job description
Before beginning the process of writing a cover letter, it is important to first read the job description carefully. It is essential to be clear about what exactly does the company want in a candidate. Look out for the necessary skills, qualifications, and responsibilities mentioned in the job description. Once this is done, try to understand if you have the necessary skills and capabilities that suit the company’s requirements. It is always recommended to not just blindly apply for jobs, but rather to make sure that you are suited for the position you are applying for.
Step 2: write personal information
It is always recommended to start the cover letter with the details of your personal information. These may include your name, contact number, email ID, and other location details like city and pin code. It makes the recruiter’s job easier when they try to reach out to you through your contact details. For instance, your opening lines may be as follows:
Priya
Contact No: XXXXX
Email: XXXXX
Madhapur, Hyderabad
Pin Code: XXXXX
Step 3: Begin with greetings
Following your details, you should open your letter with a proper greeting. This includes opening statements like “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Hiring Manager.” This will ensure that your letter is formal right from the beginning. You could also add a simple line after that, where you enquire about their well-being. This will make your letter seem warm and more personal. There are many number of applications that hiring managers have to go through, adding a personal touch would work in your favor.
Step 4: write about your introduction
Once you are done with the greetings part, start the introduction by writing a couple of lines on yourself. Write about your educational background, what you are learning or what you have learned, and introduce briefly about your interests and career aspirations that are associated with this position. The introduction serves the purpose of making the recruiters aware of who you are . Keep your introduction concise and simple rather than writing long paragraphs. You may also write about why you want this position.
Step 5: Discuss your skills and experience
Following an introduction about yourself, describe your skills and experiences relating to the job role. Describe your technical skills, soft skills, internships, projects, or achievements that relate to the needs of the organization. In addition to merely listing your skills, give some insight into how you have employed those skills within your academic life, internships, volunteering, or other personal ventures. While you may be a novice lacking relevant experience, mentioning college projects, trainings, leadership positions, or extracurricular engagements is always possible. Stick to the truth and keep in mind what you hope to become in relation to the role you wish to attain.
Step 6: Better closure
Conclude your letter with a best closing remark. This is a chance for you to highlight again why you would be a good fit for the job and how your skills, attitude towards learning and eagerness to contribute can benefit the organization. Another way of doing this would be to issue a call for action in your closing, which could be as simple as saying you look forward to discussing the matter further during an interview.
Be sure to keep a positive tone but refrain from being arrogant. Lastly, thank the employer for his/her/their time and consideration of your candidacy. Here is where you can close with statements such as “Thank you for your time and consideration” or “I look forward to hearing from you soon,” then sign off with a “Sincerely” or “Regards” followed by your name.
Bonus tip
When writing a cover letter, you can make use of pre-existing templates found on the Internet to get an idea about the way to write a cover letter. You could read other cover letters as well that relate to the particular industry or profession that you want to join. Analysis of these cover letters will help a beginner understand what is expected from him/her.
It should be kept in mind that one should not blindly copy these cover letter formats. One should use these cover letters just as an example and then create one’s own personalized cover letter. It should also be noted that each applicant should write a unique cover letter for each job application.
Conclusion:
The effective use of a cover letter in an application process may increase its quality through revealing your character traits, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the position you are applying for. If used properly and customized for each case, a cover letter may become a powerful tool for freshers to find a job or internship.