This Is How To Write A Killer Cover Letter (Even If You Hate Writing)

This Is How To Write A Killer Cover Letter (Even If You Hate Writing) This Is How To Write A Killer Cover Letter (Even If You Hate Writing)Posted October 6, 2016, by Zahra Campbell-AvenellLets get a show of hands Have you ever sent the same generic cover letter to multiple employers? Ill confess Im guilty. (And this is despite being a professional writer.) Id be surprised if most people havent done this at some point out of desperation, boredom or sheer exhaustion. The reality is, when youre trudging through the job search process (particularly while still working 9 to 5), the last thing you feel like doing when you get home is to bang out cover letter after cover letter, trying to sell yourself to someone whos never even met you. Surely your resume and your qualifications are enough? You probably dont need me to tell you theyre elend. An exceptional cover letter, however, tailored to the job at hand, is a surefire way to stand out from other candidates, getting you one step closer to landing the job. Hiring managers wade through hundreds of generic applications, and your cover letter is your chance to grab their attentionand shout from the rooftops that you are the perfect fit for the role. If you do that, its impossible for them to ignore you. But if youre not a writer (or even if you are) a standout cover letter can be hellishly difficult to write. A cover letter template might get you started, but its not something you can just copy verbatim. As a starting point, its great, but you still have to ic away at it until its unrecognisable from the original, and polish it enough to make your words fly off the page.But how? You ask.Dont stress - Im here to helpHaving looked through hundreds of cover letters over my career, Ive learned what works and what doesnt.Think about it. A great cover letter needs to convey just 3 things1. You have the skills to excel in the job at hand 2. You have strong communication skills and 3. You will be the perfect fit for the team.How do you squeeze all this onto one page? My formula will help you nail every cover letter, every time. Ive added a few great examples as inspiration dont copy and paste them, of course the idea is to be original and find what works for you.1. Start strongWhen you start your cover letter like this Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to apply for the Marketing Coordinator position, as advertised on SEEK. Youre pretty much saying this Dear Whatsyourname, I know I need to submit a cover letter so here it is. I couldnt be bothered customising it to fit this job because Im not sure its worth the time. Ill do my research once you invite me for an interview.And we dont want that, do we?Lets be honest if youre bored while youre writing your letter, you can bet that your prospective employer is going to be bored reading it right before tossing it in the bin. You need to start with a bang get them hooked and wanting to read more. The first few sentences of your cover l etter are the most valuable real estate on that page so dont squander them Heres an opening that distils the essence of the job Its clear that you require somebody who can not only write extremely well but also speak persuasively somebody who is confident, charismatic, and communicative. I believe I am just the person you need. Once youve got them reading, you can convince your eignung employer that your background and skills are perfect for the role.2. Echo the job descriptionNewsflash when hiring managers are knee deep in recruitment, they dont have every detail of the job description memorised. Use this to your advantage, and mirror the language of the advertisement as much as possible to show how your skills and experience align with the role at hand. So even if your