10 Easy Steps to a Great Cover Letter

Posted on November 10, 2013 Updated on November 13, 2013

Dear Reader,

If you’re applying for a good job, several candidates are bound to be competing for the same job. The last job I applied for (and have been working at for 1 1/2 years) had 40+ other applicants. How do you stand out in a good way?

You stand out by communicating that you are what they’re looking for, plus some. I wrote the below cover letter even though I didn’t realize at the time that was what it was called. What stuck out to my current employers was that they could see at a glance that I fit the job requirements and I spoke Spanish (a plus). Because I gave them my job availability dates, they were able to hold the job for me for a month before I arrived in Greenville.

Hello,

Please see my resume and see if you think I would be a good fit for this job. I will be available in August for hire. I’m a third year Bob Jones University Student and will begin classes August 27. I will be available year round in the evenings and on the weekend and I will be living in town at my own residence. The reason I’m not available sooner than August 15 is because I am finishing my job in Milwaukee, WI at Froedtert Hospital and that is the earliest I can move to Greenville.

I speak Spanish, if that’s a plus. I love dressing professionally and I have a lot of internal and external customer service experience! If you look at my resume, you’ll see that I’ve had a lot of experience within the hospital setting, and that includes Workers Compensation as well as private insurance. However, while I did work with our legal counsel on one of my cases, I’m not familiar with working with No Fault.

Just ask if you want more information or more references!

Thanks for reading!

Looking back I can see how I made several mistakes. Thankfully the message still reached my current employer. After some research, I’ve learned the proper way to write a cover letter in 10 easy steps.

#1 – Use the correct format. You can find templates of cover letters in programs that are equivalent to Microsoft Word. When I searched Microsoft Word I came up with at least 34 templates. You need to put your address and today’s date at the top left. Beneath that you write the name of the person you’re writing to, their title, the name of the company, and the company address. Keep it professional on white, cream, or light gray paper.

#2 – Make it as personal as possible. If you can address it to a particular person, do it. Consider your target audience and think about what THEY will want to hear. They want a great candidate who fits their requirements – plus some. Give them what they want to hear and then some. “Dear Robyn…..”

#3 – In your opening sentence, state why you are writing. For example, “I’m responding to a funeral home job ad you posted in Greenville News.”

#4 – Follow that up immediately with a quick reason why you specifically are good for that specific position. This is not a blanket cover letter. It’s a letter that is specific to this job and to one person. For example, “I thoroughly read the job requirements and noticed my skills and training line up exactly with your requirements.”

#5 – Next, draw attention to your resume. This cover letter should wet their appetite to learn more about how great of a fit you are for the position. “If you take a quick look at my resume you’ll notice that I have seven years experience in healthcare as well as four years training as a bilingual medical interpreter.”

#6 – Don’t just leave facts – apply them. Why are the facts on your resume relevant to the job you’re applying for? “I believe the experience I’ve had working with pediatric cancer patients is essential to understanding the families I will be counseling in this position.”

#7 – Tell a little bit about what drives you. Strip away the specifics and give them a general idea of your personality. “I’m a people person and am driven by problem solving and relationship building.”

#8 – Be knowledgeable about their company. Do your research and know the basic history and maybe names of leadership. If you know someone personally in the company, mention them. You want to be relatable and not ask stupid questions you could have found online.

#9 – Recommend a time availability for meeting. Be flexible. Move them to action. “I’m available all next week for an interview and can move my schedule around for whenever is convenient for you.”

#10 – Close with a positive word about the job and it’s relation to your future. “I’m looking forward to hearing more about the position and I am eager to learn how I can contribute to your team.”

Here was another great cover letter article by CBS that recommends using bullets for a list of your experience. It warns that no coer letter can guarantee you a job, but it does give you an edge on your competition. Keep it to a half of a page to a full page. Have fun with your cover letter writing!

Sincerely,

Andrea