Having a satisfying career is not possible without some challenges. Where some of the job seekers have a tough time to face the hiring managers, the other may find it difficult to fit their previous work experience with the requirements of the current job responsibilities. But among all the adversities, you can grab just one opportunity to make the hiring managers believe that you are the one they are looking for. Writing a cover letter can help you as a tool if you know how to make the utmost and best use of it.
There is nothing more rewarding and recreative than an excellent career track. Either it is the first step towards the first job, or maybe a new job opportunity, the state of changing from one phase to another is fascinating.
Why Writing A Cover Letter Is Important?
Even before knowing the “How to Use” about the resume cover letter, you first need to understand why a cover letter is essential. Many job seekers think that a resume only is enough to be forwarded to an organization. Then why do you need to have a cover letter?
1) The resume is an assorted document which carries all the related information about the job seeker to the hiring managers. The one or two paged document needs to represent all the critical information in front of the hiring managers about the applicant. In reality, a resume has limited value unless it is coming with a cover letter for a job.
2) Writing a cover letter is to create another document that represents the highlights of the key accomplishments of the job seeker, which are fit for the opening.
3) It is important because where the resume can carry the keywords about the achievements the job seeker is having, Cover Letter can add some detailed information about the same.
4) It helps the hiring managers to understand the type of job position, that the job seeker is looking for. Thus, it becomes easy for them to differentiate between two applicants with the same qualification.
5) A cover letter is more explanatory than the resume, and it is even more beneficial if the candidate has significant gaps in the employment history. Thus, the candidate gets to explain the circumstances faced positively.
How To Write A Cover Letter As The Game Changer Document For You?
If you can spend enough time while creating and writing a cover letter, you are a few steps ahead of the victory. A well written and well-narrated cover letter can make you stand out among many other job seekers in the market.
If you are working closely with professional resume writers, you are in the right direction of having a winning cover letter. But if you are the one doing all the job for yourself, this step by step guide will help you to have a professional cover letter for yourself.
#Step 1: Know Your Whys:
You must make sure that the decision that you are taking is an informed one. You can take complete control of your career when you have a clear idea about why you are opting for the job. You may go for informational interviews with people and friends to know about the role and organization you are applying for to satisfy all the “Whys” you have regarding the position in your mind.
You must invest enough time while researching and gathering information regarding the job you are applying for and the company which is offering the vacancy. Don’t stick go one source to collect all the information. Once you go through the job description posted by the organization, you need to compare your essential skills with the requirements of the organization for that particular job opening. You will be more contented and will have enough information that you must add to make your cover letter as a career changer.
Among all of the whys, you also need to find out the reason for writing a cover letter to the employers. You need to be a little more conscious while understanding this segment. You might be writing a cover letter as you have found enough similarities between your skills and the requirements, or might be it is someone who has referred you for the job positioning. For each case, the statements of the cover letter will be different.
You can also add the citations like the name of the person who has referred you for the job position or maybe the website address where you have found the job opening. Etc.
#Step 2: Choose the Right Cover Letter Format:
After you have understood the reasons behind writing a cover letter, the first point is to introduce yourself. But even before that, you need to pick up the perfect format for you. You can go through many such cover letters and analyze how they are written.
Remember, the format of your cover letter may also vary according to the job position you are applying for. You and the hiring managers will get to know each other only when you will make it to the personal interview. Before that, you are just an object running in their emails and through some set of documents. But still, you can make the mark and make the best use of it.
The resume writing services can help you to pick up the perfect cover letter format according to the job you are applying for.
But you can use an online cover letter builder if you want to do it all by yourself instead.
#Step 3: Focus Upon Convincing the Hiring Managers:
After the cover letter template is finalized, start with Introducing yourself being to the point and not over-explaining about anything. If you are someone with minimal experience and achievements, you can still be the perfect one for the job position once you can make the best use of the segment.
Make sure that you don’t forget to mention what is essential. Your education, job experiences, and some of your achievements are enough for a good start.
Understanding your self-worth and how eligible is you for the job positioning is not enough. The next step is to make the hiring managers believe the same. After you have demonstrated yourself in the first paragraph and also had added the citations, you can add the segment where you must show that you have gone through the job posting thoroughly and you understand that your skills can contribute towards the needs of the organization. You must also establish your capability to address the challenges of the organization.
Telling your story through your previous experiences help the hiring managers to understand the logic behind your decision of the job change. The more clearly you can write the segment, the hiring managers will find you to be thoughtful about your informed decision about the career.
Be honest in both the documents-your resume writing and the cover letter. There must not be any mismatch between the data or information that you have provided in the cover letter and the resume.
If you have any career gap, you need to explain them with reasons, and you also need to mention if you have learned something during that period.
You don’t need to repeat the same points while writing a cover letter that you have already mentioned in your resume. Instead, choose to mention other highlights which can help your personality to shine and make you unique in front of the hiring managers.
#Step 4: Highlight Your Transferrable Skills:
All the hiring managers are looking for is a set of skills that can help their organization to grow. You come to action only when you can match their level of expectations for having specific and relevant skillset. The way you write down your current skills helps them to understand how self-aware you are. You must be specific about how your existing skills can help the organization.
Use industry-specific languages to demonstrate your skills. If you go through the job posting again and again, you can use relevant and specific keywords that the hiring managers are willing to read in your cover letter.
You can choose to write your technical skills, leadership skills, or the soft skills for a cover letter in bullet points. In general, the hiring managers are running out of time, and bullets are comparatively easy to read rather than paragraphs. You don’t need to mention all the skills you have in the world. Instead, choose three to five top skills that you have and which are relevant to the requirements of the job position.
You need to be very realistic while writing your skills. You must not choose to use any topic or term you are not familiar with. Rather than being sorry for the expertise that you don’t have, be more proactive while demonstrating the skill that you already have.
#Step 5: End Your Cover Letter with A Pitch
The last few lines of writing a cover letter are the closing argument to establish the fact that you are a deserving candidate to go for an interview with the hiring managers.
Don’t expect any call from the organization you have just emailed your cover letter to unless you have given them any reason to call you. The ending of your cover letter is as important as the beginning, and you also need to be very cautious while writing that too.
Add your social profiles like the professional LinkedIn profile, Facebook profile, or website at the end.
What must you write at the end?
First of all, the end of writing a cover letter must not be something out of the topic, and you need to be on the same trail.
Summing up the rest of the cover letter is the best option to add at the end of writing a cover letter. It is not the entire points that you have added previously, but how your skills will help the organization.
The end of writing a cover letter is the last chance for you to demonstrate what you have to offer to the organization.