Essentially, your cover letter is a slightly longer version of the profile section of your CV if you have one, but don’t make it overly wordy, ideally remaining under 100 words.
The recommendation by experts is that your cover letter is as easy as a PIE (P = Passion, I = Interest, E = Excellence).
As a job seeker, a brilliantly written cover letter could be the key to open the door to a new job for you. If you are looking to stand out and not to follow the pack of 90% of job seekers who get the same results, be sure to compose all your job search and career cover letters with the PIE method in mind.
It is important that you know that your cover letter is your sales rep while you market yourself and your attributes to potential employers. Ensure that it is effectively written.
Think PIE
Passion: Write your cover letter with energy, enthusiasm and passion. Draw the connections between the company’s needs and what you, the candidate can offer. You build a rapport with the reader when you write with enthusiasm. Passion helps to overcome obstacles and liabilities. Right or wrong, fair or unfair, a lifeless letter reflects a lifeless person.
Interest: Using passionate words but having little to say is a waste of passion. Obviously, you must have something of interest to say that would result in a prospective employer developing a strong interest in you as a potential contributor to their organisation.
You must determine, in advance of writing the letter, what information will spark their interest in you. Investigate research and uncover the critical messages that you want to convey in order to generate immediate interest in you. Address the company’s needs as you understand them and draw the connections between those needs and your skills as a means to meet them.
Excellence: Any potential employer is interested in knowing your level of commitment to excellence. Today, the job market is a shrinking, global village where only the ones that are ready to commit to excellence will survive. Most companies are looking for a few good people to employ and retain. Though, it may seem difficult to find a good position, hiring managers are probably of the opinion that it is just as difficult to find good candidates. So, it is imperative that you are able to package yourself for that first dynamic introduction so you will automatically be perceived as a potentially good hire.
Do not forget to communicate your level of integrity, competence, confidence, and trustworthiness that most employers seek. Remember that a powerful cover letter should embody a compelling message, depict a professional commitment to excellence in one’s chosen career, and you need to communicate this with passion. Let your letter answer the following questions:
See Amazing Cover Letter Examples for 2020 [+Writing Tips]
If you can answer or address these points, you are on your way to constructing a winning cover letter. However, you must always edit and polish your letter, get two other people (your mentor, manager, or any other hiring manager that you know) to read through for you. It is recommended that a good cover letter should include the following information:
See your job search as a marketing campaign. You are the product and your cover letter is the salesperson.
In the attempt to fit this information in such a small space, you may adopt the following policies with regard to the writing style of your cover letter:
See How To Write A Cover Letter: 23 Professionals Comment
In addition, there are a number of layout considerations to be carefully thought about when writing your covering letter:
A perfectly written cover letter will flood your calendar with job interview dates. Remember, the humble perfectly focused cover letter can land you your dream job.
See this video on Cover Letter and other job search tips
What else can showcase the fact that you know your cover letter is your sales rep? Let’s hear from you, add your comments below.
If you find this article useful, you can also see:
Covering Letter No-Nos…
General Guide Lines for Writing Job Related Correspondence
Experts Offer Their No. 1 Cover Letter Tip
66 Free Cover Letter Samples/Formats
Let’s hear from you, add your comments below.
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