what is a cover letter

Cover Letters are an important tool that contributes significantly for securing your dream job. Though it is a single page document, a well written cover letter has the potential to set you apart from the crowd. There are people who don’t understand the importance of cover letter and see it as irrelevant. But they shouldn’t forget that a perfect cover letter can help them to great extent. If experts are to believe a well written cover letter can make you more reliable and distinguishable from others.

Following are some of the important things to include in a cover letter:-

Self Introductory Note

Self introductory approach should be adopted while writing a cover letter.  A clear and concise self introduction is a necessary part of every good cover letter. This should clearly explain the suitability of the candidate and his/her skill sets for the position to be applied.

Well Researched Content

The content which is included in your cover letter needs to be well researched. It should be something that the manager wouldn’t be interested in reading in. It should be apt and precise. Primarily all the relevant information should be covered first.  Some basic analysis would tell you more about the organization’s history, its current market value, its future endeavors –all of which would be helpful in drafting your cover letter.

Using Proper Formats

Correct formats should be followed while including content in a cover letter. Broadly, a cover letter contains an introduction, body and conclusion. The flow of the sentences should be smooth and relevant to one another. Vague, ambiguous and lengthy cover letters are always given less weight age and hence, the content should be precise, lucid and relevant.

Correct References & Salutations

Correct references and salutations are very necessary in a professional cover letter. Salutation should be as per the gender of the hiring manager. Using generalized or standardized salutations in a cover letter lowers its significance.

Organization Centric Content

Except the self introductory note, the contents to include in a cover letter should be organization centric. The body of the cover letter should emphasize on the values of the organization as well as roles and responsibilities of the position and how the applicant’s skills and experiences can help in achieving organizational goals. Rather than showing individualistic and self obsessive characteristics, the ideal cover letter content should talk about a mutually beneficial relationship.

 


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