7 Tips for Students and Graduates Writing a Cover Letter
You are almost done college or you have recently graduated. Now what? It is time to start looking for your new career. Once you have found some jobs to apply to you need to write a cover letter that will be noticed by the company that is hiring you. Here are seven tips for writing a cover letter that will get you noticed.
Length
You cover letter should only be one page long. You want to present a brief, but concise picture of yourself to your potential employer. One page is plenty to get your point across to your potential employer.
Research
Before you start writing your cover letter you need to research the company where you are applying. Each company is different and you want to find what matches your desires and abilities. Recent graduates cannot be too picky when it comes to their first job, however, if you research the company you are sure to find something you like about it that you can highlight in your cover letter.
Font and Color
“Do not use color or any fancy looping fonts. Stick to Ariel, Times New Roman, or other similar fonts. The person reading your cover letter will be more impressed with the content of your cover letter if you choose a regular font,” says an cover letter editor at MintResume. Leave the color accents for your resume if you so desire. The cover letter should be black and white.
Format
You want to create a letter that has a formal feel to it. Generally you want to list your name and address first. If you know the name of the hiring manager you can address the letter to him or her. If you are unsure about the name you can make the address to whom it may concern at whatever company. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your cover letter should be individualized. You are applying for different jobs, your cover letters should show that.
Body
The body of your cover letter should be comprised of three paragraphs. You should have an introduction paragraph, a paragraph about yourself, and a closing paragraph. That is all you need. For the paragraph about yourself you can highlight skills you have acquired through an internship (check online resume examples on how to do it) or volunteer work while you were in college. These things can act as a cover letter. Just because you are not employed does not mean you do not have skills. Also within this paragraph you should have a sentence telling the person looking at your resume how you would fit into their company. This is where your research comes in. One brief sentence will show the person that you are interested in their company and you are not just throwing resumes and cover letters to anyone that is hiring.
Closing
You want to end your letter on a positive note and reiterate your email or phone number and a link to your personal website. The person reading your resume will know how to contact you for the follow up interview and will be more likely to read your resume.
Proof
You will want to proofread your cover letter and resume for errors, and not just spelling and grammatical errors. You need to make sure you are addressing your letter to the correct company. You can use online resources to help with the spelling and grammar but it helps to re-read your letter yourself.
Following these tips will help you write a cover letter that will be noticed by the hiring manager. Put yourself forward in this letter and let them know exactly who you are and why you should be hired.
