Writing an effective cover letter is incredibly important as it tell a prospective employer a lot about a prospective candidate. When done well, it can increase your chances of getting that coveted interview call. Many career experts say that this process is one of the most difficult parts of a job application largely because it lacks standard structure. Nonetheless, it is as crucial as having a good resume and if poorly written, un-organized, or difficult to understand, and employer may not even consider your application. So what steps can you take in writing an effective cover letter?

Cover letters reflect the writer’s personality, a good communication skill, intelligence, an overall attention to details, and interest with the job. As such, they should be completely devoid of trivial things such as spelling and grammatical errors. When writing an effective cover letter, at best, they should be limited to three paragraphs unless there is a strong reason for extending it beyond this.

Do’s and Dont's of Writing an effective cover letter

Do include “Enclosure” on the next line from your name to indicate that there is a resume enclosed.

Do include your strengths and what you are passionate about in your career.

Do review some examples of job cover letters before making your own.

Do use power words and action verbs that describe your achievements and accomplishment such as organized, experienced, managed, developed, coordinated, and so on.

Don’t worry about being too egotistical – just convey yourself as confident and capable.

Don’t waste any time and don’t say anything that doesn’t help you make your case.

Don’t give suggestions for the company in your cover letter and don’t mention your references.

Don’t make statements such as vague like: “I want to make as much money as possible”.

Don’t include personal information like your race, sex or marital status in the cover letter.

Don’t brag or make statements that can't be quantified.

 

Do you need some extra job cover letter help? Then read our full software descriptions of our featured cover letter creators>>>