How to Write a Cover Letter
Often time, job hunter sends a copy of cover letter together with a curriculum vitae and or application letter as a brief self-introduction to their potential employer, explaining their fit for the applied position. Sometimes, some employers seek for a thoughtful and carefully written cover letter as one of the methods of screening applicant.
What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter is a single-page letter usually attached to a letter of application or any other document like a résumé or a curriculum vitae. A cover letter is a letter that you include with your job application. You should always include a cover letter unless the job advertisement clearly says not to.
Categories of Cover Letters
- Application letter: this is usually written to apply for a particular advertised job,
- Inquiry letter: written to express interest/concern in an organization when an applicant is uncertain if there is any job opening in a particular organization.
Attributes of a Good Cover Letter
- Specific to an applied position and up-to-date,
- Appropriate punctuations and grammatical-error-free,
- No mistakes, correct spellings and free from typographical errors,
- Highlighting important information in chronological order,
- Make reference to recent job positions and must be closely related to the position applied for,
- Keep it short,
- Address to the company/organization appropriately.
Expected Content of a Good Cover Letter
Listed below are a few things you are expected to consider including in your cover letter:
- Include your name and contact details:
- Let your name be boldly written on the top,
- Include your email address (ensure your email contains your first and surname to make it more official) and phone number. Avoid using a funny email address like yxzsexy100@mailserver.com.
- Include the employers’ contact details just after your contact details in the following order:
- The name of the employer,
- Name of the company you apply to,
- Contact details of the company.
- Note: in cases where you do not know the company’s contact details, you may use (to whom it may concern)
- Job title
- Relevant related skills
- State why you are fit for the job.
