The 4 golden rules of Cover letter writing, a guide for your next application.
Cover letters are an essential part of the application process. The cover letter introduces the applicant to the recruiter and persuades the recruiter to read the applicant‘s CV. The purpose of the cover letter is to explain why you are the right candidate to get the job. Furthermore, a cover letter is a marketing tool for yourself, hence underlying its importance. In this article, we look at the four main rules you must follow when writing your cover letter to make your job application unique and get noticed by the recruiter.
Conduct thorough research before writing your cover letter
Yes, this is not the first time you have heard us go on and on about research, and the tradition keeps ongoing. Conducting thorough research before you do anything is the motto here at Career Digest. Research is king. Look into the job you are applying for before you write anything job application-related. Examine what the job recruiters are looking for, by doing so you will be able to match your skills with the requirements of the recruiter. Remember, the main aim here is to show and prove that you are the right person for the job, so you need as much information available as possible.
Write your cover letter in the body of your email
You should write your cover letter in the body of your email. Some people are tempted to attach their cover letter as an attachment. We strongly advise you not to do that. Attaching your cover letter, as a separate document will slow things down for the recruiter. They will be forced to download your cover letter, read it, and also download your cv and other documents. The best practice is to minimize the amount of time a recruiter spends on your CV.
Recruiters are busy people and they will be handling thousands of applications. So, if your application slows things down, they can skip it at times, or it might annoy them and put you in an unfavorable position. For this reason, you should write your cover letter in the body of your email. The recruiter will read your cover letter as soon as they open your email speeding things up and getting you a step closer to being selected.
Keep it short and to the point
A cover letter is not a letter to your friend. Always keep it short and professional. Normally a good cover letter must be two-thirds of a page or a little more. Avoid writing a full page or more. Keep it brief, get your message across very quickly, and do not beat about the bush. A cover letter is there to persuade recruiters to read your CV and select you among other candidates.
Use the proper salutations and sign-offs (proper lingo)
By this we mean use the proper terms, language, and grammar when writing your cover letter. Back then people would use salutations like “Dear sir/madam”, nowadays it’s not a thing. Use salutations like “Hi and Hello”. Also, the way you end your letter is very important. It’s another chance to leave a good impression, and your letter sign-off has the power to undo all the good work you have done in the other parts of your letter. So, be careful the way you end your letter. We recommend using “best regards or kind regards” when ending your letter.
Signing off
So, to conclude cover letters are an important tool to sell yourself to the recruiter. Besides, all the listed rules above, do not forget to proofread your letter for typos, grammar, and spellings when you are done. Keep in mind all these rules when writing your cover letter and you will be fine, make sure to always tailor make your letter to the job you are applying for, and always start your letter from scratch so that you avoid making any mistakes.
