Imagine this scenario: you are “hunting” for the job that will kickstart your career or the position that will take you where you want to be. Your CV might be empty, of the expected size, or massive.

What if I told you that even before a prospective employer checks out your CV, they may have already gotten a great idea about your chances of getting that job? How? By reading your cover letter, of course.

Countless cliches have been created and established throughout the millennia to stress the importance of our first impression about someone or something. “First impressions matter”, is by far the most widely-used one, determining that what others see at first is the foundation upon which their first interaction with you will be based.

In the world of job hunting, cover letters are your first impressions. They are your way of setting the tone about yourself, what you have to offer, how you can offer it, and what set of skills you will bring in that will make you invaluable.

Is there a way to perfect a cover letter? Well, there are no rules for a presentation of yourself, but there are some principles that apply to everyone and everything. When implemented in the process of writing a cover letter, they might just be what separates you from the rest of the applicants.

Let’s take a look at some things that your cover letter should include to not only attract the employer into reading it, but also captivate them into calling you for an interview.

Invest in creative and structured writing

Write your cover letter as if it was a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Implement that into writing an engaging, true story that showcases how your experiences can benefit the company, and fit the requirements of the position you are applying for.

Try to mention something fresh and unique about your experiences, personal or professional, which the reader will not find again in your CV. Otherwise, why bother mentioning it again?

Transfer your life into your work

Instead of trying to approach this technically and rigid language, put yourself in that cover letter. For example, if you are running a blog as a personal project, mention this in your cover letter, and use the skills that coincide between your project and the position you are applying for.

If you indeed have a blog and more people than yourself are working there, mention your soft skills, and your ability to organize and coordinate meetings, as well as any motivational skills you might have. Soft skills are far more important than you may think.

Go after the job, not the company

Does it seem obvious? You will be surprised how many people write cover letters filled with praise about the company they are applying to in general, instead of writing about the position they are applying for.

Showing that kind of punctuality and being specific is a fantastic first step towards showing your prospective employer that you are someone who understands guidelines perfectly, and works towards the desired outcome. Showcase your interest and enthusiasm about the specifics of the role, not about the organization in general.

Why You?

This is too cliché. We are aware of that. Everyone is. When a company asks you to explain why you are the best candidate for a job, they do not expect rigid language and hackneyed phrases.

They expect you to write or say things that are truthful and make you stand out as both a person and a professional. Do that in your cover letter. Nothing bad can come out from showcasing your true, unique skills. Whichever they may be, they are wanted. Always, by virtually everyone.

Numbers are your friends

Numbers, whether it is the amount of money you raised for a greater cause or the number of people you managed, help organizations put things into perspective. They allow them to understand not only what you can do, but how well you can do it.

In your cover letter, include numbers wherever and whenever possible. Don’t be afraid of facts, figures, and numbers. As long as the rest of the cover letter does not contain rigid language, a quick “facts and figures break” will show them what you really are about.

Write about what you CAN do

If you have little to no working experience, the company you are applying to probably already knows it, since you are most likely going after a junior position. That does not mean YOU are someone who will always be a junior in your field.

Therefore, there is no need to write about what you CAN’T do. Your cover letter is a summary of what you are able to achieve, things you CAN do, and a summary of your skills that allow you to achieve said things.

Summary

In conclusion, a great cover letter should be personal and 100% truthful. Whether you are just starting your working adventure or you are an experienced individual, you should ensure that your cover letters are a great way for a prospective employer to understand who you are, where you are coming from, where do you want to go, and how are you planning to achieve that through the job you are applying for.

Tags: cover letter, cover letter content, CV, job application