A good cover letter can pique an employer’s interest and get them to spend a little more time on your qualifications. This is your opportunity to provide some context of how your skills can translate into real-world work on their team. A bad cover letter may send your resume to the bottom of the pile, or worse … the shredder. Take time and write a convincing cover letter.

Your cover letter should be one-page and will accompany your job application/ resume. It is not meant to repeat all of the information contained in your resume. Grab the reader’s attention with your top achievements, explain why you’re the perfect candidate, and explain why you’re a good match for the company.

This means you will have to research the prospective company. Visit the company website to find out as much as you can about them. Start with the mission statement and make sure their values align with yours.

Structure your cover letter by starting with your contact information followed by who the letter is addressed to. Your opening paragraph should be personal and tailored for each job. Grab the reader’s attention, you want them to read on.

The body of the letter should include your major achievements and how they relate to issues you could help them solve. Tell them you are the right person for the job using examples of the skills you have. You may want to reference your social media channels or website if the are relevant to your field. This section of the letter will be four to five paragraphs.

Finish with a closing paragraph and a formal salutation.

Before hitting send you are going to proofread, get a friend to review it and/or use online services, like Grammarly, to ensure your syntax and spelling is all in order.

There are plenty of good examples of cover letters online that can help you frame your letter about yourself. Be authentic when talking about your skills, it isn’t hard for employers to fact check … and they will.

Happy job hunting!

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