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What do employers want to see in your cover letter? That seems to be the
question a lot of job seekers ask.
Here are some basics that will help you start writing your cover letter and
propel you into applying for new jobs. Ask yourself the following questions
so that your job search is off to a good start.
What Job Are You
Applying for Anyway?
It’s a basic step but
sometimes it’s left out on a cover letter. The hiring manager is left to
wonder what the cover letter and resume they have in their hand is for. If
they have to guess, then you can forget about getting a call for an
interview. They are too busy to spend that much time on one candidate.
Include the job
you’re applying for towards the beginning of the cover letter. You could
even make it a header to your letter. Make it apparent so the hiring manager
doesn’t have to spend time looking for it.
Can You Fulfill
Their Requirements?
If you’re applying
for an advertising position, don’t go and talk about what great
administrative skills you have. You have to demonstrate how you meet their
requirements. If the job posting says they require a four-year degree and
you only have a two-year degree, don’t mention it at all. Let your strengths
speak for you instead.
As you review the
posting, take note of what you can specifically point out to the reader. You
don’t want to mention every point, but if there’s something unique about the
position and you either have the experience, training or skills that suit
that job to a tee, then you should make a point to mention it in your cover
letter.
How Can They Reach
You?
Make your contact
information easily accessible. Include it in your header and your closing
paragraph as well. Some even suggest adding your phone number below your
signature. You want to be sure that when an employer is so impressed by your
cover letter package that they just have to call you for an interview, they
don’t get frustrated looking for a phone number or email address.
How Professional
Are You?
How you present
yourself on paper speaks volumes about who you are as a professional. Are
their typos? Is the format correct? Do you have too much white space? Not
enough? All of these little things add up to a very important impression on
the employer.
Of course, these are
just very broad aspects of your cover letter that you should include.
However simple as these may seem, they are vital to getting interviews. If
you overlook the obvious, then the employers will obviously overlook you.
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