Most job candidates spend a great deal of time and effort perfecting their resumes. Few, however, give equal consideration to their cover letter. In fact, some candidates fail to submit a cover letter unless it’s expressly asked for. This is a huge mistake. The cover letter is an essential part of any job application, and it deserves as much, if not more, time and consideration as a resume.
While each cover letter should be written fresh for a particular position or company, there are four main parts to any effective cover letter.
The Statement of Purpose
The first paragraph of a cover letter should clearly state the candidate’s reason for writing—that is, the position being applied for. It can also mention where the candidate found the job opportunity (for example, at an online job site like Workopolis, on the company’s own website, in the newspaper, etc.).
This paragraph should be short and to the point. One or two sentences in generally enough to convey the necessary information.
The Pitch
The second paragraph is essentially the pitch, in which the candidate sells him or herself to the employer. This paragraph should focus on the candidate’s past accomplishments, relating them to the position being applied for. If the resume begins with a summary of skills, the second paragraph of the cover letter should reiterate these skills in slightly different language.
Note that experts generally recommend keeping the cover letter to four paragraphs. However, some experts allow the pitch to be two paragraphs, as long as they’re fairly short. Still other experts suggest listing accomplishments in a bulleted list if doing so in sentences would require more than one short paragraph.
The Statement of Benefit
In the third paragraph of the cover letter, the applicant should state how he or she will benefit the company. These benefits should be stated in as much detail as possible. For example, rather than writing “increase sales”, an applicant should attempt to quantify this increase and provide a context, such as “double online sales within one year”.
Again, this paragraph should be succinct, but it should also demonstrate that the candidate has thoroughly researched the company and understands what they want and need in an employee.
The Call to Action
Most people would call this the “closing paragraph” but just saying “thank you” is a waste of an opportunity. The final paragraph of a cover letter should encourage the employer to take the next step – that is, to contact the candidate and schedule an interview.
This is also the candidate’s last chance to reinforce his or her objective – the position he or she wants and, of course, is perfect for.
Whatever the position, whatever the field, a strong cover letter is an essential part of the job search. Coupled with a strong resume, a well-written cover letter can set a candidate apart from the rest and convince an employer to spend the time interviewing him or her.
Emily Jones - Emily Jones began her writing career by practising the alphabet on her mother's newly papered kitchen walls. She was promptly given a ...
