This post will provide you everything you need to know about writing a cover letter plus examples from my own cover letters that got me the jobs. (Read about my work experiences here).
Writing a cover letter might seem so much extra work after you spend time adjusting your resume and then filling out the online application form. But, just a few more minutes on a cover letter can increase your chances of employment by a huge percentage.
Imagine yourself as an employer, hiring for a certain position. Wouldn’t you feel more confident about a candidate who clearly put extra efforts to write a letter explaining how he/she fits the role?
Here are some tips to write a cover letter:
1.Format:
It literally is a letter and not just called one. So, make sure to write it in a letter format. Don’t put a heading. Include Date, To and “Dear Hiring Manager”. Get the information from the job posting. Make sure to direct it towards the correct hiring team.
2. Introduction:
Make a strong opening statement in two-three lines introducing yourself, relevant current job, education and why you are applying to the position. Express enthusiasm about working for the company and include a call to action.
Example from my very own cover letter for introduction:
“Please accept this letter as an expression of my interest in the ‘ABC’ position. After reading the job qualifications, I was excited to apply as my strengths, skills and experience align well with the requirements. I have recently completed the course of my study (3-year BSc Statistics) and I am soon to graduate.”
This gives the reader a little push to read the rest of your letter.
3. Divide in paragraphs: Create a clean, well distributed layout. After introduction, include:
· Direct experience and education
· Knowledge about the job duties
· Relevant skills
· Achievements
· Availability, proximity to work
· Conclusion
Direct Experience:
Very important! If you got direct experience, put the spotlight on it. Use sentences like “I have direct experience working…….” Or “I possess firsthand experience working in/as a…”, and then continue to explain your role.
Tip: Pull out keywords from the job advertisement and include them in your experience.
Example from one of my other letters:
“Working as a Clerical Administrator at the Manitoba Tax Assistance Office has provided me with the essential skills and experience required for this position. I work on a high volume of forms and handle their indexing, digitization, documentation, storing and filing. In addition to my discussed duties, I also took the initiative of calling customers whose forms had missing information”
This way the reader gets an insight to what kind of work you have done before. Notice, how I also mentioned about taking initiative. It represents a quality, and that’s what they are looking for.
Knowledge:
Explain that you understand the job duties and carry the knowledge about the position making you an asset. This is what I mentioned when applying for Awards Student Assistant position at my university.
“I have worked as a Student Mentor and Student Ambassador at the university. Throughout my experience, I have gained a lot of knowledge of UWinnipeg’s regulations, programs, policies, and services. I have developed strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills when working with students and faculty and providing a positive experience”
“Apart from this, I worked on the Tuition Credit fund program and handled forms from students. During those months, I gained significant knowledge of all policies and procedures relating to Canadian and US government student loans, grants, and bursaries. I can now effectively outline and interpret criteria and application procedures for all awards and financial aid programs and provide information.”
I took the last line as is from the job description.
Relevant Skills:
Here are some examples of how I have included relevant skills in my cover letters.
“During my work journey, I have gradually built a strong foundation in the technical skills required for this role. For instance, I have been working with MS Word, Excel, and Access Database in a production-based office environment. In my current role with the Tax Office, I have been working with more than 100 forms on a daily average. The process involves the use of mentioned MS application software and office tasks such as scanning, photocopying, and mailing letters.”
Another Example:
“I can work independently or as part of a team. I have had multiple positions at once during my studies and I am confident about my time management skills. I have strong customer service skills that I have gained from my time at Walmart as a customer service desk associate. I am self-driven and take initiative when required.”
Achievements:
Cover letter gives you a chance to reemphasize on your achievements like promotion, awards and recognitions in a way that resume doesn’t. Explain what you achieved. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an award or a certificate. It can be a project that you completed in an extraordinary way or any initiative that you brought to the company. Or, it can be a promotion.
I took the chance and mentioned about my promotion in my letter. Even though it was not relevant to the job, but I customized it in a way to align it with the job duties.
“I have recently been promoted to Customer Service Manager at Walmart because of my strong communication and organizational skills along with my ability to manage difficult situations in a workplace. Responding to inquiries and referring students to other departments will be no difficult task for me.”
Availability and proximity to work:
If the job posting lists a certain availability requirement, do mention it in your letter. Just a simple line for example, “I am available to work the required hours, live close to the location and thus will have a reliable commute to work”.
If the position is remote, you can mention “I have a private office space at home with locked doors allowing me to work without any disturbance”.
Some companies do mention the requirements of having a door with a lock, so point that in your letter. If they have a certain ask for your computer specifications, list those too.
Conclusion:
End on a strong note and thank them for their time and consideration.
Example from my letter:
“Throughout the three years of my degree and my time in Canada, I have taken on multiple responsibilities, jobs, and tasks at one time, and with my time-management and multi-tasking skills, I always manage to perform my best.
Lastly, I have read and understood the job responsibilities, and I feel confident about my candidacy here. I am available to work in person and remotely with occasional evenings and/or weekends and I would love to be a part of this department.”
And at the end, add your name and email, and sign it.
Some additional cover letter tips:
· Keep it concise.
· Be Specific
· Don’t repeat too much information from the resume.
· Express enthusiasm.
· Quantify accomplishments. (Use numbers or % to demonstrate achievements.)
· Proofread carefully.
Hope this works for you. Don’t get lazy, put the effort and stay inspired!
Also, leave a comment and let me know if this was helpful.
Thanks for reading.
