The chapter opens up with two important points before it even gets into the written portion of the cover letter itself. It starts off with reminding the reader that one should look into the company they are applying for prior to submitting any written materials, or sending an email. That the information you look into will help you decide whether the company is one you would actually like to work for. It also is an extra card to play in a future interview. Moving on, it is extremely important to find the name of the individual you are submitting documents to. This personalizes the connection you are trying to make with the company and the individual who may conduct the interview or determine your employment.
Put simply, the core of creating a good cover letter includes following the eight C’s of professional writing, correct format, and use of plain English. When it comes to the formatting of the cover letter, one must include three key elements. It must be only one page long and include concise paragraphs, only highlighting the most important information. If you can bullet list your skills, it is recommended to do so. This is due to a hiring committee readings hundreds of submissions and does not want to be bored.
In the actual writing of the cover letter, that biggest thing one needs to remember is that your are trying to sell you and your skills to a company. Meaning, that the sentences and content in the letter needs to be focused on what you would add to the company with them hiring you. The cover letter is not about you, it is what you can do for them. Moving forward, the other important element of the content in a cover letter is to be persuasive. Using the AIDA model, which we discussed last week, is the most effective way of doing do. Catching the readers attention in the first paragraph about how you heard of the position, interest them with the skills you have and how they fit what they’re looking for, for desire one should attempt to personally connect with the employer with your best personable qualities, and lastly for action, you make sure to hear from them. This can be done by following up in an email, or a phone call depending on contact access.
