Many opportunities have been lost due to most peoples’ reluctance to write a cover letter or because they had deemed a cover letter as unnecessary. While most companies might not demand for a cover letter, it will be of advantage to your application if you add a cover letter to your applications.
A cover letter is a letter that introduces your skills, experiences, and qualifications relative to the position for which you are seeking. It plays a significant role in describing your personality, skills, and accomplishments on your CV to recruiters. This helps the recruiters develop an impression of you and offers them a sense of what you would bring to the table if offered the position. Cover letters are typically one page long with three to five paragraphs.
Here are some hints on how to write a good cover letter:
Make research on the company before sending your cover letter: Making proper research of the company helps you to know the company’s goals as well as their expectations, this way when writing a cover letter in application for a role in the company; you will be able to write to their standard and meet their proposed expectations.
Tailor your cover letter to fit the job you are applying for: A cover letter is a letter containing details of your qualifications and achievements but the letter should not contain all of your skills and qualifications. Rather it should highlight only skills that qualify you for the role you are applying for and qualifications that can convince the recruiters that you are the right candidate for the job.
The details in your cover letter must match the details on your CV: The details in your cover letter should not be different from the details provided in your CV. Any form of inconsistency will cause you to seem untruthful and your qualifications will look falsified.
Explain what you can contribute to the company in the position you are applying for: While your cover letter is your chance to sell your qualifications and abilities to the recruiters, it is not only about you. You should also give details of what the recruiters will benefit if they choose you. Mention your skills and how it can be used in the position you are applying, the benefits you can add to the company and how you have used said skills to achieve something in the past.
Describe how your previous experiences and achievements can help you in this position: it will be of great advantage to you if you are able to mention achievements you have from past work experiences especially experiences similar to the one you are applying for. Describe the experience you have gained over your career and how you intend to use it to provide value to the job.
Don't forget to proofread your cover letter: Slight mistakes in your cover letter, such as misspellings or grammatical problems, can influence the recruiter's impression of you, as you might come off as unobservant. It is essential that you check your cover letter or give it to others to read and provide feedback.
