Applicants need to improve their game to stand out in the pile of resumes. If you don’t stand out, there’s very little chance that recruiters will consider your application. If you don’t have the professional qualifications or achievements to speak for itself, putting in more effort can come to your aid!
In such cases, it will be greatly beneficial to send a cover letter detailing how you will are a suitable fit for the job. You can also talk about how interested you are in the position, and how it will benefit your career.
Your cover letter can make your first impression as the best one in the mind of a hiring manager. Companies actually prefer it when you send in your resume accompanied by a cover letter even though some will request one as a basic prerequisite to apply for their vacancies.
The reasons below will explain to you the benefits of creating a cover letter and how it is not a waste of time.
1. Emphasizes the Positive
Your cover letter has the power to intrigue a recruiter to give your application a fair chance. You can exhibit your interest and accomplishments, which will let recruiters know that you are dedicated to getting the role.
Your resume is just a review of your past jobs and experience but doesn’t give much insight into your interest in the role. By including a cover letter, you will be able to emphasize your skills and give an insight into your accomplishments and career history.
If you could not delve that deep into your biggest accomplishments in your resume, try to do that with your cover letter.
2. Recruiters Will Appreciate the Extra Work You Put in
Not everyone includes cover letters with their resume. You can make a significant impact by including one, as it is an extra touch that will help you stand out as an applicant.
The main advantage of cover letters is that you can directly show recruiters how you will use your skills to the company’s benefit. Instead of describing your resume, try to focus on extra information like how your skills are a perfect fit for the position.
You could also conduct research to identify company projects or you could even find an area that interests you, and explain how it inspires you or take it a step further by showing how you can contribute.
The main factor here is to portray yourself as a competent candidate with thorough knowledge of the company.
3. Give Them a Taste of Your Ability
You can get creative in showcasing your personality. Being skillful is not all that matters, you can show how you will be a good fit for the company’s work environment. It’s important to keep your cover letter short and impactful.
Avoid using generic or overused phrases with complex sentence structure, and opt for a cover letter that is simple to read and does not beat around the bush.
Drafting a cover letter allows you to show your passion for your work. You can explain how the company can benefit your career and how interested you are in learning new things. Cover letters are especially useful in such cases because there’s simply no room for such ideas in the resume.
You can also mention how the company interests you in terms of work culture, career preferences, projects, and other factors that you can’t mention in your resume.
4. Allows You to Address Concerns
A normal resume may not allow you to address any concerns with your application. If you have career gaps or any kind of major career shift, you would usually have to wait for the recruiter to bring it up so that you can address it and show that you will be a reliable employee.
However, with a cover letter, you can address it professionally. You can provide your explanations along with some sort of consolation to show that you are a dedicated professional who is more than ready to explore their skills.
How to Write an Industry-Standard Cover Letter
- You can split your cover letter into four to five paragraphs with 3-5 lines each. Try not to stretch it beyond one page, as recruiters don’t have the time to leisurely read a two-page cover letter. Half to ¾ of a page is the perfect length for a cover letter.
- Address the cover to the hiring manager, and not just write “To Whom it May Concern”. Research the company and find the name of the hiring manager. It creates a great first impression and portrays you as a dedicated applicant.
However, even if you can’t find a name, address it as Hiring Manager.
- If someone refers you to the company, include their details in the beginning part of the cover letter so that hiring managers are more inclined to read it through. If it is a reputed employee, you might have a better chance of getting a shortlist.
- List all of your details such as your phone number, email address, location, and links to social platforms, especially LinkedIn or your website.
- Avoid including irrelevant or redundant information such as copy-pasting details from your resume. Include your accomplishments and phrase them well to show your genuinity.
Conclusion
Cover letters can be challenging to write. However, the one thing to make sure is that your cover letter is working for you and not against you.
There are a lot of things that a resume cannot cover. With a cover letter, you can cover up your errors and
- Cover letters are the extra touch that one extra effort which helps your application get the limelight by the recruiter.
- The cover letter needs research so using company-specific examples will make you look passionately interested in them
Research the role and write about how you are qualified and truly interested in the position.