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What Makes a Good Resume Cover Letter?

Whether the job you are applying for has a mandatory cover letter or not, it is always best to include a cover letter to put yourself ahead of the game. This only works if you write a cover letter that works well and is relevant to the job you are applying for. Here is a quick guide to what companies look for in a cover letter to ensure that you impress.

Look at Examples

There are many websites in which there are example cover letters for many types of job. This can be important in getting a general idea of what to include in your own. Be sure to not just copy one of these though, yours should be original. These are to lead by example, not to make a straight copy and companies may cotton on. iresumecoverletter.com has many different cover letter examples to browse, from financial assistant to CNA.

Each Cover Letter Should Be Unique

Make your cover letter one that is relevant to the business you are applying for. You shouldn’t write a standard letter and send this out to every business. This will look drab and boring and many companies will have hundreds of these a week, therefore they will be able to tell who has copied and pasted and who has taken the time and effort to write out a cover letter just for them. Find out information about the company and include it in your cover letter. This shows you have taken the time to research the company and this can be a great way to stand out.

It Doesn’t Need to Be Long

Remember, businesses can get a lot of resumes in a day, especially a competitive agency. If you write a cover letter that is too long, chances are they won’t bother reading it all. This is tough but true. Companies want people who can get straight to the point in less words and a resume cover letter that is around two thirds of a page can show this. Include what may not already be in your resume, as there is no point repeating yourself. Why you want to work for the company and what makes you better than the other applicants are what should be on here, not your grades.

Format

PDF’s are the best way to include a cover letter, unless you are printing it and handing it in paper wise. If you are emailing a word document, as there are different versions out there, unfortunately sometimes the format can get lost in translation and it won’t come out the other end as you had hoped. To make sure this doesn’t happen, save your cover letter and attach it as a PDF.

Always get someone to proofread your cover letter as sometimes even computers do not pick up grammatical errors. If you are struggling, check out other examples and check online for forums as many have helpful hints and tips to ensure you impress.