Best Way to Write a Cover Letter

A cover letter is an important part whenever you think of applying for a job. A well written cover letter gives a brief of your qualifications and job experience, besides giving an idea of what kind of job you are looking for and where you can fit in the organizational hierarchy. It should also give an idea as to why you think, you are ideal for such a job. In short, it can be said to be a sales letter to the recruiting personals, so that they take a further look at your resume. So a cover letter should be well written and as such you need to know the best way to write a cover letter. There are several steps of writing a good cover letter, and in the following paragraphs we give you details of that.

The Right way to Write a Cover Letter

Before writing a great cover letter, you need to research about the company, so that you know exactly what they do, names of their top management (if they have any mentioned), their mission and things mentioned in their website. They may mention current needs and their plans for the future, so you need to go through them. Make sure that you have an updated resume before writing a cover letter. Moreover, research of the organization would give an idea of the things you need to include in your cover letter. Go through the job description and analyze their needs, besides the kind of qualification, experience and skills the company is looking for.

While writing the cover letter, format is of utmost importance, especially if you are writing it on paper. Whether you write on a paper, or go for the online version, you need to write your address on top right hand corner of the page (about an inch below the top). Once you have done that, skip four lines and type down the date. Again skip four lines and enter the name and address of the company you are applying in and then address the letter to an individual. Don't write things like 'Dear Sir/Madam'.

Then comes the body text, which should include three to four paragraphs. The first paragraph should give a gist of the reasons you are applying. In the second paragraph you should include your qualifications, while the third paragraph should include a call to action statement. Moreover, it should be such that the employer is interested in reading your resume further. Once you are done with the body of the letter, it should be concluded with a closing remark like yours faithfully or yours sincerely. In case you have mentioned the name of a person in the salutation (which is preferable), you should use 'Yours sincerely'. In case you don't know the name of the person, you can write 'Dear Sir', and in such cases, end the letter with 'Yours faithfully'. Leave a few blank spaces (space for signing the letter) and then write your name.

Guidance to Write a Cover Letter

Here is how you write a cover letter for a job. However, if you are wanting to write a cover letter for an internship, the format is somewhat similar, but the contents would be somewhat different.

Your Address Date Name of the Employer Address of the Employer Dear Mr./Mrs. (Name of the person who the resume is addressed to) The first paragraph includes the reasons for applying which can be given in a sentence or two (at the most three). In this you need to mention the designation for which you are applying. It's better if you stay away from standard opening lines 'With reference to an advertisement posted on (name of the source where you found out the advertisement) dated (the date). The opening line should be written in such a way that the readers take note of your application in this line itself. Unless it's through a recruiting program or a person who is known to the reader, you don't necessarily need to specify the source from where you got the information of the opening. In the second paragraph you should mention all your relevant qualifications which match the position you are applying. Here you need to show that you are interested in working in the organization (the key is to show enthusiasm). You can also mention that you are interested in helping the company achieve its goals. You should be able to show them how you can contribute. Never make the mistake of mentioning anything to do with what you want. It's due to this reason, research on the company's background is important. Give a couple of examples of how your qualifications match with what the company wants. All these information should be included in this section, and if you find that the paragraph is too long, you can divide it into two. As mentioned above, the final paragraph should include a call to action statement which will direct the reader to your resume. This paragraph should not be more than 3 to 4 lines long. Make sure you mention the time in which you are available. You can also state that, you will get in touch with them within a specified period of time (but if you mention a time, make sure you do it, as it shows your sincerity). In the last line, mention your e-mail address and phone number, besides making it clear that they are welcome to contact you. Moreover, don't forget to thank the employer for their time. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name.

So, it's important to write a good cover letter and so you should know the best way to write a cover letter, so that the employer can further discuss the job profile with you. Your letter should show that you are confident and motivated to pursue a career in their organization.