Writing Cover letters

What is Cover Letter? Prospective employers use your resume to learn about your education, skills, and work history, as well as who you are and how to reach you. Your cover letter has a slightly different purpose. A cover letter is a document that introduces you and accompanies your resume. It is what a hiring manager will see first.. In a competitive job market, hiring managers may get hundreds of resumes for only one position. Going through all of them can be time consuming. To alleviate the time strain, most hiring managers will quickly read over or scan cover letters to decide which resumes to read more closely.

What are the parts of a cover letter? A cover letter is really just a formal business letter that acts as an introduction to your resume. Because it is a formal business document, it should be in block business letter format. In this format, text is left justified (aligned on the left-hand margin).

Parts of a cover letter

Date:This is the date the letter is written. We recommend using the Day Month,Year format, like this: January 27, Address: Here, you should provide your home mailing address, followed by the hiring manager's address. Greetings: The greeting is an important part of your cover letter. It establishes who you are sending the resume and cover letter to. We recommend that you try to find the name of the hiring manager to use here. If you can't find a name, use a generic term like Staff Selection Team or Hiring Manager. Body: The body is the main part of your cover letter. This is where you explain what job you are interested in and how you learned about it. It should also present you as the best possible candidate for the job, and explain what actions you will take next.

Parts of a cover letter Close: Use a polite and professional phrase here, such as Sincerely, Respectfully, or Kind Regards. Signature: This area should contain your name, a written signature (if you're mailing the letter), and another way to contact you (such as a phone number or address). Enclosure line: Use this line whenever you include a separate item in the same envelope or message. It will tell the recipient to look for the enclosed attachment, which will usually be your resume, but could also be samples of your previous work. Note:If you're sending a cover letter via , you don't need to include the date, return address, or mailing address at the top of the page. Just include your own address and other contact information, such as your or phone number, below your name in the signature area.

Writing an effective cover letter To be effective, the body paragraphs of your cover letter must really sell you as the best candidate for the job. This area should highlight your accomplishments and qualifications, as well as explain how you can benefit the company. It should be easy to read and have a positive tone. Each paragraph of your cover letter has a different purpose, and there are strategies you can use to make each paragraph effective.

E.g. of an effective cover letter 8

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