Cover Letter Tips: How to Introduce Yourself and Your Journey in the Best Possible Way
‘I am’
‘Ich bin’
‘Je suis’
‘Mimi ni’
These four phrases, first in English, then German, French and Swahili are encountered by anybody learning these languages for the first time. They allow the person to introduce themselves by telling others of who they are, primarily by stating their name but with space for disambiguation.
They are the first window into your person and every teacher of language both formal and informal knowingly and unknowingly has that at the back of their minds.
In the world of work, the cover letter is your ‘I am’.
It’s supposed to be the window into your work personality and the showcase of your ability to perform tasks specific to a job description.
On the internet, they are numerous cover letter templates but these should act as nothing more than guidelines because each person is different. If you continually keep to specific models, you find yourself limited in how you express your ability.
Moreover, the cover letter with which you apply to any position should be distinct. It is advisable that you draft a new letter each time you are interested in a certain job, trying as much as possible to introduce yourself in the context of the job’s needs.
The letter is supposed to pique the interest of the hiring team so it’s advisable that you keep it lean and to the point. Ensure that it’s no more than 500 words.
The cover letter draws interest to your resume so you may want to avoid repetition while keeping it attractive enough for the person hiring to peep further.
You don’t need to be a professional writer to put out a good cover letter. Keeping to this tried and tested format while fleshing everything out in your own words will work.
- Header: Input biodata & contact Information
- Salutations to the hiring manager
- In paragraph 1, grab the readers attention by highlighting 2 to 3 of your biggest achievements.
- Next, preferably in a new paragraph, explain to whoever is going to read why you’re a perfect candidate for the role.
- In paragraph 3, state how you will be beneficial to the organization to which you are applying.
- Lastly, remember it’s a formal engagement and close the letter formally using:
Yours Faithfully,
Yours Sincerely,
and so on and so forth.
Conclusively, in every application you make, you just have to remember that a cover letter offers you a formal introduction to whoever intends to hire you and it’s a sneak peek into your fit for the specific role. Keep it short and attractive enough to keep the reader interested.
