Content is the Key to an Effective Cover Letter

For a professional position, the initial application process demands two essential documents: the cover letter and the resume. Yet, the cover letter contributes more on the success rate of an applicant in passing the preliminary round than the resume. The resume serves to back up the points you made in the cover letter and to highlight your work history. This means that a good resume is useless if not accompanied with a good cover letter.

The benefit of submitting a cover letter is that you can tailor your application based on the company and position you are interested in unlike the resume which is based on your actual work experience. Today, a generic cover letter is as ineffective as a broken television. You cannot pass the preliminary process with this type of cover letter. So to make cover letter that is effective, you should pay close attention to its content.

The content of your cover letter should be really specific. It should address to a specific company and should be addressed to the specific hiring manager or employer. It should talk about the particular job position. It should spotlight about particular skills and experience. And it should tackle about your specific intention. For you to address your letter to the specific individual, you may need to undergo extensive research. However, if you are confident enough, you can merely call the company and inquire who you should direct the cover letter to.

Inside your cover letter, you should name the company and the position you want to apply for. Bear in mind that hiring managers have no time and intention to guess what position you are applying to. Be very specific on your choice of position. Moreover, create specific references to the company. Set the knowledge you have about the company and the position. Furthermore, show your conce
about the company’s current project.

When writing your cover letter, also concentrate on defining your knowledge about the position and your qualification for it. You may want the hiring manager to know why you are a perfect fit to the position and the company and why you are interested in working in their company. Tell the hiring manager how you are qualified for the job position.

Additionally, your cover letter should also emphasize your most essential and pertinent skills, experience and accomplishments. Make sure that you go over the main points. Yet, the details should be incorporated only in the resume and not in the cover letter as your cover letter should be as short as possible and yet concise and complete. Since the details are integrated in the resume, your cover letter should specifically point the reader to the resume. Stating that you have included your resume for more details about your experience and accomplishments is great enough.

Lastly, you must also request specific follow up and interview. Are you going to follow up after a week or two weeks? Or are you just going to wait for the hiring manager to call within 7 days? Are you going to call the company for follow up or are you going to pay them a personal visit? Remember that your cover letter should be in conversational tone but still formal enough to indicate what a professional you are.