Cover letters: A How-To Guide

Your cover letter is your first contact with a company’s recruitment team. A strong cover letter should provide encouragement to read your resume thoroughly and get you a call back. This is the starting point for our team to get to know you: who you are, what you bring to the table and why you want to be a part of our community.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself in order to write the ideal cover letter:

What’s the place you’re applying to like?

Before you start writing, take some time to do research. Google the company! Read more about who they are, what they do and how they do it.

Not only does this help you understand what their environment is like and what expectations to have, but this tells the recruitment team you are truly interested in the role and in being a part of the company.

What should you talk about?

Cover letters have 4 basic elements. Here’s what you need to know about them:

• Opening: Your first paragraph is crucial. This is where you need to capture the recruitment team’s attention and tell them why you are the perfect fit for the job.

Be warm, friendly and, most of all, keep them interested in reading what you have to say!

• Hook: This is your time to shine. Talk about what you’ve done and highlight how you believe these experiences will make you successful in the role you are applying to.
• Skills: Talk about your strengths and highlight the knowledge you think is important to have in this role. What skills do you have that would be a right fit for this opening?
• Close: End your cover letter with confidence. Briefly recap who you are and encourage us to call you back!

Keep in mind:

Cover letters should not be long. Always use positive language and don’t be afraid to promote yourself. Familiarizing yourself with the company can help you understand what we are looking for, as well as give you ideas of the best tone to use in your letter.

Be confident, assertive and, most importantly, be watchful of typos!

You can read the cover letter example below:

Good day Recruitment Team,

Are you looking for a dynamic sales professional? Search no further, I am ready for the job. As you can see, I have had extensive vacation work experience in office environments, the retail sector and service industries, giving me varied skills and the ability to work with many different types of people. I believe I could fit easily into your team.

I maintain an extensive knowledge of all offerings and can quickly help a customer select their best option. In addition, I am confident, outgoing, and reliable, which makes me a great fit for your company.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,

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