I still remember my first time I was taught how to write a business letter in block format. It was my senior year in a business class run by Mrs. Perry, a very button-down, organized business teacher. She demanded perfect block format, down to every space and paragraph. Who knew that this attention to detail would eventually be useful to me. Today, I use it every time I write a cover letter.
A cover letter is written in perfect business letter format and besides your resume, is the most important document you can send to an employer. It is often an employer’s first impression of you. How you heard about the job position, why you think you should get this job and your contact information are all included in the body text of the letter. A cover letter should always be sent with your resume, even if the description does not ask for one. People often use a cover letter to regurgitate their resume, but it should instead be used to compliment your resume; telling the employer more about your personality and why you are applying to a respective position.
I very often talk about my past in my cover letter, but only when it helps me explain why I am applying for a certain position. My dad actually had a dairy farm when I was younger, but had to sell the herd when I was about ten. This is really important because one of my goals in life is to help a dairyman not go out of business. Jobs that help me do this are the jobs that I apply to. I am then able to use this in my cover letter to explain a little bit more about myself, giving myself a personality, while maintaining professionalism.
This does not work for all of the positions that I apply for, which is why customizing your cover letter for each job position is very important. Writing it specifically for each position with an active voice will allow your cover letter to be more fitted for the position and allow you to stand out to the recruiter. You should try and keep your cover letter under one page because when employers are going through applications, they are often strapped for time. Giving them the most information in a short amount of text makes for the best cover letter. Your cover letter should use the same font, format and paper as your resume.
All of these tips are vital to writing a cover letter. Take care when crafting this very important document, it will undoubtedly come in handy.
