Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing for India : 6 Steps Tutorial

Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing Section 3:

Guidelines for writing an effective cover letter

What is a cover letter ?

A cover letter is a letter of introduction that accompanies a resume. Though cover letters are not required as frequently today as they once were, when one is requested, it gives the applicant a chance to explain their goals and show the hiring manager who they really are. It also creates a good impression and highlight you among the other CVs without a cover letter if done right.

A cover letter explains who you are, lists major accomplishments, and tells the hiring manager what you hope to bring to the company if hired.

• A cover letter is a 250 – 400 word document that convinces the hiring manager of your competence.
• A cover letter goes in your job application alongside your resume.
• Your introduction to the cover letter should grab the hiring manager’s attention and keep it all the way until the conclusion.
• There are 2 main topics you need to include in your cover letter: why you’re the perfect candidate ( What can you offer ) for the job & why you’re passionate about working in the company you’re applying to ( research about the Company ).
• Most of the content of your cover letter should be factual, without any fluff or generalizations.

COVER LETTER TIPS

• If emailing your cover letter, be thoughtful in your subject line. Never leave the subject line blank and double-check for specific instructions in the job posting. If possible, use it to sell yourself. Ex: “Experienced Software Engineer Seeks Senior Level Mobile Position.”
• Keep your cover letter short and to the point. The hiring manager will be reading lots of cover letters. Make yours stand out with as little text as possible.
• Be confident. Let the hiring manager know the reasons why you deserve this position and make yourself believe them too!
• Don’t simply rephrase your resume. Let your personality show and go into further detail about your most valuable skills and experiences.
• Do your research before writing the cover letter. It should be customized to that specific company’s values and needs. Hiring managers can spot a generic resume from a mile away.
• Use the job posting as your guide for what topics to focus on.
• Include keywords from the job posting. Applicant tracking systems may scan your cover letter along with your resume.
• Check for spelling and grammar errors.
• Send your cover letter as a PDF to avoid readability issues.

Cover Letter Writing Checklist

1) Does your cover letter heading include all essential information?

• Full Name
• Professional email
• Phone Number
• Date
• Relevant Social Media Profiles

2) Do you address the right person? I.e. hiring manager in the company / your future direct supervisor

3) Does your introductory paragraph grab the reader’s attention?

• Did you mention 2-3 of your top achievements?
• Did you use numbers and facts to back up your experience?

4) Do you successfully convey that you’re the right pro for the job?

• Did you identify the core requirements?
• Did you successfully convey how your experiences help you fit the requirements perfectly?

5) Do you convince the hiring manager that you’re passionate about the company you’re applying to?

• Did you identify the top 3 things that you like about the company?
• Did you avoid generic reasons for explaining your interest in the company?

6) Did you finalize the conclusion with a call to action?

7) Did you use the right formal closure for the cover letter?

FREE COVER LETTER DOWNLOADS

• Microsoft Office offers a free collection of simple cover letter templates.
  https://templates.office.com/en-us/Simple-cover-letter-TM00002108
• Download your choice of classic cover letter templates from Cover-Letter-Now.
  https://www.cover-letter-now.com/templates
• Here is a massive collection of free cover letter downloads by industry.
  https://www.monster.com/career-advice/cover-letter-resume/cover-letter-samples
• Check out this wide range of cover letter examples.
  http://www.tidyforms.com/resume-cover-letter-examples.html
• This website offers cover letters appropriate for US, UK and AU job positions.
  http://au.hudson.com/job-seekers/career-advice/cover-letter-templates
• If you’re a Google Drive user, these free templates are a great place to start.
  https://drive.google.com/templates?category=17&q=cover+letter&sort=rating&view=public&ddrp=1#
• These cover letters are available for download on Word, OpenOffice and Google Docs.
  http://www.vertex42.com/WordTemplates/cover-letter-template.html
• A free selection of cover letter downloads for specific job positions.
  https://www.template.net/business/letters/cover-letter-template/

Click on “next page” below to move to section Best Practices for resume and cover letter writing Section 4:

Power verbs:

Keywords that you can use in writing your CV / Resume