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Just as location is important for the success of a business, specification is similarly important for a cover letter. Without a specification, writing a cover letter is a pointless endeavor. In fact, specification in a cover letter goes a long way in optimizing your tasks as it sends out the requisite signals to the hirer regarding the success of you as a prospective candidate. As far as the job seekers are concerned, they should focus on preparing a document that actually highlights their aim and relevant knowledge in the required field.
Generally, a cover letter is sent out to a prospective employer as an attachment with your resume. The cover letter is important as a document as it tells the recipient the person who should handle it as well as help elaborate your knowledge about the company you are applying to. Usually, an employer would expect the candidate to submit the cover letter in support of your application for employment and resume submission. There are certain things to remember for preparing a cover letter, as you don't want to appear to lose out on the job. Here are a few aspects you need to be cautious about:
- Avoid mentioning to your prospective employer more than what they already know
- Don't mention anything about hobbies unless they help in adding value to your application
- Avoid straying of content from the job announcement perspective
Mention the Recipient: It is important to have the cover letter mention the name of the recipient, to whom it is addressed. Take that extra effort to locate the name of the exact hiring manager by calling the company and asking them who heads the hiring management. Make sure you don't have things reading like ''Dear Hiring Manager'', or ''Dear Sir or Madam'', or ''To Whom It May Concern'', as these reflect a lazy approach.
Position: A cover letter should specifically mention the position the candidate is applying for. It helps if the point is stated right away in the very first paragraph itself. In case you are making a cold call, make it a point to thoroughly study the opportunities that are being offered in the company. In this case, it would be foolish to mention more than one option, as the employer will consider you to be desperate.
Take Examples: It is always best to specify your achievement in the field of your career instead of making generalized or redundant sentences about yourself.
Target the Skills and Qualifications: It may be alright if a few parts of your cover letter are similar to the parts mentioned in your other cover letters. This means that you should be much focused when it comes to elaborating on your skills, qualifications and areas of expertise.
Sound Company Knowledge: You need to have genuine and sound company knowledge. This is important as the employer will gradually obtain interest regarding the candidate, and who knows? It may even add to the X factor.
How will the Cover Letter Benefit the Employer?
The purpose of the cover letter is to introduce the candidate in an all round way for making them look as the best applicant and the most deserving for the position applied to. Be very specific as to how you can come to the use of the company and meet the needs of the employer, or the company at large. Follow it up with an action as you are not expected to be vague. You should come right out and ask for the interview. Make sure you are taking a step ahead and contact the employer to get an appointment arranged. If you are opting to follow up the interview, it is you who has to take the initiative. This will give you good reason to enquire after the name of the hiring manager as well.
More Instructions to Write a Good Cover Letter
The cover letter should contain a maximum of 3 or 4 brief paragraphs. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph and follow that through with the purpose of why you are writing the letter. The second paragraph should have you know about the educational qualifications and professional skills. However, the latter should not have a detailed format as it will look out of place.
Boomerang cover letters are attached to the ad that the candidate is responding to. Pasting the copy of ad content will not be looked upon as plagiarism as you are merely responding to the advert. Your cover letter may also follow a 2 column format whereby the ad content comes in the left column and your suitability to meet the established parameters comes in the right.
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