Six Simple Tips for Creating an Impressive Cover Letter
by Grace Corbett Assumption University ‘22 and Peri Snow Assumption University ‘23
A cover letter is an important way to showcase your skills to a potential hiring manager. A good cover letter is a chance to show that you have knowledge, abilities, and skills that align with the job description.
What is so great about a cover letter? You can use the same one again and again — As long as you edit it based on each job. This means reading through and customizing it to be addressed to the right business, having the title of the position and company within the body of your cover letter, and highlighting or replacing any skills from your resume that would be a good fit for the job at hand.
Here are six simple steps to create the perfect cover letter:
Step 1: Select your style of Cover Letter
Selecting the style of your cover letter is an essential first step. It is important to make sure that the style of your cover letter aligns with the company you're sending it to. Style examples include: Application, Referral, Prospecting, and Networking Cover Letters.
Step 2: Limit your Cover Letter to a single page
Keep your cover letter around 250-450 words and 3-4 paragraphs. It is important to keep your cover letter concise and easy to read. To create a cover letter that is easy to read it is essential to be consistent with font size, font style, and margins. The point of your cover letter is to capture the hiring manager's attention with a quick read and to not bore them.
Step 3: Make each Cover Letter specific to the company
Create your cover letter specific to the company you will be sending it to, to fulfill the purpose of explaining to the hiring manager that your skills, experience, education, etc. match with their needs.
Step 4: Expand on your resume without repeating it
Instead of restating the content on your resume, on your cover letter be sure to dive deeper into other accomplishments or experiences. Use strong action verbs when describing these experiences. Use experiences that would catch the attention of the hiring manager. If they are looking for a certain skill, and you have an experience involving that, drive it home!
Step 5: Use a standard signoff to conclude your Cover Letter
Examples of a signoff to use when concluding a cover letter are: sincerely, regards, thank you, and respectfully. Use a signoff that you would use with a professor, a current boss, or a different professional, not one you would use with friends or family.
Step 6: Get a second opinion before submitting your Cover Letter
Getting a second opinion on your cover letter will help validate the clarity and readability of your cover letter. This is also a great way to catch grammatical and spelling errors.
Need help crafting your cover letter? We are fully equipped to help you create an outstanding cover letter. We are available for proofreading and edits, or tips on how to get started. Contact us today.