A good cover letter helps a candidate stand out among similar job applications
Job hunting in itself is a challenging task but writing a cover letter has to come at the top of herculean tasks set for someone looking for a job. While sending a cover letter with your resume not mandatory, it certainly helps and increases the chance of getting picked by the recruiter for further examination.
What do experts say about cover letters?
Ms. Amy Gallo writes for HBR Ascend that sending a cover letter to recruiters is a must. She says that a cover letter is your chance to distinguish yourself from tonnes of resume which may all look just like yours.
But how to write an impactful Cover Letter? Amy Gallo has some effective and easy tips for those who are about to write or edit their cover letter.
Research the Organization
Ms. Gallo says that before writing a cover letter, one needs to do research on the organization they hope to join. She advises looking up company's LinkedIn profile and their Twitter presence to understand the ethos better.
"Find out what challenges the company is facing and how your role would help address those. Knowing the company better also helps you decide on the right tone to use in your cover letter," she says.
Open Strong
Ms. Gallo says that instead of opening your cover letter with something as bland as 'I'm applying for X job that I saw in Y place.' That's a waste of text,' instead try opening your cover letter with why you think you are fit for the role.
She also says not to resort to humor in your cover letter. She also advises against common platitudes and recommends being direct and dynamic in the cover letter.
Highlight your Personal Value
To emphasize your personal value, she advises to draw upon the research you did on the company. Point pout the problems faced by the organization or the corresponding industry in recent times and elaborate on how your experience has trained you to solve those problems.
Keep it Short
Ms. Gallo says that it is often advised to keep the length of the cover letter at one page but experts say that cover letter should be shorter - short enough to get through in one glance.
Click here for more Jobs News