Your cover letter gets just 30 seconds to impress the HR manager. As such, you have to make sure that it is impressive enough to make the HR manager open up and go through your resume. As such, you should leave no stones unturned in making your cover letters as best as it can be. Here are some tips to make your cover letter impressive:
- Sit down to write your cover letter only after you have made a thorough research about the company. You should know what the company does, how they are placed amongst their competitors and what their business plans are.
- Your cover letter should be addressed to the right person. Use the contact name give in the advertisement. Visit the company’s website and see if you can track down the name of a relevant recipient. Alternatively give the company a call and ask for the name of the head of department to which you are applying.
- The opening paragraph and sentence should be arresting. For example, you could start as:
- In response to the advertised position in The Guardian on July 12th, I am writing to apply for the Photographic Assistant position in your company.
- Your cover letter should be able to describe your professional and academic qualifications that are relevant to the position. Emphasise what you can do for the company and elaborate on the most relevant points of your CV
- Do not use abbreviations, decorative fonts, pompous words or graphics in your cover letter.
- The cover letter should absolutely have no spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
- Make sure you attach your resume carefully to the cover letter.