The Do's and Dont's in a Comprehensive Cover Letter
Here are the
keys for job-seekers in writing successful job search cover letters. Follow
these simple rules and guidelines and you should achieve success in this
important phase of job hunting.
Don’t ever send your resume without a cover
letter.
Do address your letter to a named individual.
Don’t use a sexist salutation, such as
“Gentlemen” when answering a blind advertisement.
Don’t waste your first paragraph by writing
a boring introduction. Use the first paragraph to grab the employer’s
attention; give the employer the reasons you are qualified for the position.
Read more.
Do send an original letter to each employer.
Don’t use such clich’s as “Enclosed please
find my resume” or “As you can see on my resume enclosed herewith.” Employers
can see that your resume is enclosed; they don’t need you to tell them. Such
trite phrases just waste precious space. And don’t wordy phrases which also
waste space.
Don’t depend on the employer to take
action. Request action. Request an interview, and tell the employer when you
will follow up to arrange it. Then, Do So. It is imperative that you follow up.
You will greatly increase your chances of getting interviews if you call the
employer after writing instead of sitting back and waiting for a call. Those
who wait for the employer to call them will generally have a long wait indeed.
Don’t send a cover letter that contains any
typos, misspellings, incorrect grammar or punctuation, smudges, or grease from
yesterday’s lunch.
Do use simple language and uncomplicated sentence
structure. Ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary words.
Do write cover letters that are unique and specific to
you, but if you’re having troubles getting started, consider using our template
Do speak to the requirements of the job, especially when
responding to an advertisement.
Do keep your letter brief. Never, Never more than one
page, and it’s best to keep it well under a full page. Each paragraph should
have no more than one to three sentences.
Do tell the employer how you can meet his or her needs
and contribute to the company.
Do distinguish your cover letter from those of other
job-seekers by quantifying and giving examples that amplify and prove the
claims you make in your letter.
Do try to answer the question that the employer will be
asking while reading your letter: “Why should I hire this person?” Answer with
your Unique Selling Proposition.
Don’t rehash your resume. You can use your
cover letter to highlight the aspects of your resume that are relevant to the
position, but you’re wasting precious space — and the potential employer’s time
— if you simply repeat your resume.
Do avoid negativity. Negativity never has a place in a
cover letter.
Do be sure the potential employer can reach you.
Do avoid the three most common cover letter mistakes.
Do use action verbs.
Don’t forget to personally sign the letter,
preferably in blue ink.
Do use e-mailed cover letters, but keep them shorter and
more concise.
Reference:
Hansen, R.
S., Hansen, K. (n.d.). Cover Letter Do’s and Don’ts. Accessed June 02, 2017. Retrieved
from: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/cover-letter-dos-donts
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