Cover Letter Tips
Along with your resume, a cover letter is one of the first interactions a company will have with you and so it is important for it to leave a good impression of you. You want the letter to engage the reader and convince them to take a look at your resume if they have not already. That is why you should always keep the cover letter reasonably short and mention only key experiences and skills that will convince the reader you are more than qualified and eager for the job at hand.
Parts of a Cover Letter
- Introduction - Introduce yourself, why you are writing and why you are interested. (If you were referred by someone, be sure to mention their name here as well)
- Sales Pitch - What do you have to offer? What value would you bring?
- Detailed Experiences - Give a descriptioin of 1 or 2 projects you have worked on that would qualify you for the position
- Conclusion - Reiterate your main points and thank the reader
Here are also a few things you should keep in mind while you are writing your cover letter:
- Remember to stay positive, you can address areas where you may lack experience if they come up in an interview but leave them out of your cover letter.
- Demonstrate you have done your research by mentioning your skills in relation to the position at hand.
- Proofread, proofread, proofread - you should have absolutely no typos or errors in a cover letter.
- Don't start the letter with "To Whom it May Concern" or "Dear Sir/Madame", know who you are sending the letter to - it shows that you have done research.
- Try to mirror the language in the job posting. It is hard to argue you are not qualified if all the skills/experiences you mention are from the job posting itself.