Seize the Opportunities! With the Strongest Cover Letter in 2023

After spending hours developing your skills, preparing your resume (or CV), and searching for the amazing companies that you wish to work with, whether you are planning to wait for a job opening, or bravely sending your resume to announce you are there and ready to work.

However, before applying, you need to start working on writing a cover letter for your application to give yourself the benefit of a good first impression and make your application look clearer; moreover, strengthening the good resume you have worked hard to build.

Do not worry! We are here to the rescue, with this full information blog to walk you through all the details you need to know about the cover letter in the resume, what are its characteristics, how to write it, and what mistakes to avoid to nail your cover letter and win the chance to reach the job interview phase.

What is the Cover Letter?

A cover letter which is also known as a job application letter, is a one-page document with three to four paragraphs in 250-400 words to highlight your related skills to the position, and show your interest in the company’s opening job opportunity; moreover, a cover letter is usually addressed to the HR recruiters.

Your job application letter should be well-written, with formal language, and without any spelling or grammar mistakes in order to be a positive addition to your application, not the other way around.

More than that, before writing a cover letter, you should do deep research about the company to know more about it, and highlight why you are a perfect fit for the position with your experiences and skills, furthermore, to the overall company’s culture in the proper language and tone.

Always keep in mind, that a well-written cover letter, even if is not required for the job application, has the power to set your application apart from other applicants.

Why the Cover Letter Is Important in a Job Application?

You may be thinking, why do the extra effort and write the cover letter? If you are having second thoughts, we advise you to start writing your cover letter today for the next great reasons:

• The cover letter highlights your motivation and excitement about the opportunity.
• Make the HR manager interested in you and persuade him/her to read your CV.
• Although your skills and experiences are listed in your CV; yet, the cover letter aligns them with the company and available position.
• The cover letter shows that you know the company and the open position.

The Difference Between a Cover Letter and a Resume:

Although your cover letter is a supplement to your resume, yet it does not replace its importance; moreover, you should not include all the resume’s information in the job application letter.

When preparing and writing a resume, you must include all your degrees, achievements, and skills with a nice eye-catching design to interest the HR team; in addition to your contact information, and you should consider adding a professional picture of yourself.

On the other hand, a cover letter for a resume should be unique to each job application you are doing, to highlight your relevance to the position itself, why you are a perfect fit, and why you are interested in the company.

So, that is why having a cover letter next to your resume in any job application will help the recruitment team know you better and be more interested in choosing you for the job, whether you are applying for a remote or in-office position.

What Are the Characteristics of a Good Cover Letter?

As with any other professional document, a cover letter has specific characteristics that must be included to be considered a successful addition to your job application:

• A Header: with your name and professional contact information; moreover, addressing the hiring manager by name with listing his/her position will show that you did your research.
• Opening Paragraph: the personal one, must be appealing to catch the reader’s interest, and you should write this paragraph for each position based on what you know about the company and its culture.
• The Body: in this part of the cover letter, you need to focus on your skills and experiences, how they perfectly match the opening position and the overall company requirements; moreover, why you are their superhero to recruit for the position.
• Closing Paragraph: to sum up and even set a contacting date to reach the recruiter, and get feedback about your job application.
• A Formal Salutation: end up your job application letter with a formal salutation and sign up with your full name.

8 Steps to Write a Great Cover Letter:

Whether you are a professional seeking a better opportunity, or a freshly graduated aiming to start your career, your job-hunting process and applying should include deep research about the company, a strong resume, and a well-written cover letter.

Here are the 8 steps you should follow to end up with an eye-catching cover letter:

1. Pick the Right Template:

With different cover letter templates that could be used, you need to choose one with the right first impression you aim to achieve with the recruiter; moreover, a template that is compatible with your own resume in the design, fonts, and language to present a full and united image about you and your professional skills.

2. Add a Cover Letter Header:

You should never ignore adding a header to your application cover letter, not only because it will make your cover letter look more professional, but also because it will make you look more clear and interested in the position.

On the other hand, adding your contact information, although they are available on your resume, will make you look more reachable in front of the HR team.

3. Write a Strong Cover Letter Resume:

A strong cover letter is not only one with all the required characteristics included, but also with a good listing of your experiences and skills, why you are the one for the job, what you have to add for the company, and what are your future plans.

All of that, when well-written, will make the odds on your side to reach the next phase.

Furthermore, you should be proud, not arrogant, about your personal accomplishment whether in college or in previous positions, and do not forget to add a reference if you have a good contact inside the company.

4. Highlight Your Skills:

Even it is important to mention all your job-related experiences and certifications in your application; however, in your cover letter, you need to highlight your skills and experience that meet the opening job and company’s requirements as well.

However, these highlights are not necessarily your degrees and education, they could be any related skills or accomplishments to the position, so you do not have to mention everything, just what makes you a stronger candidate for the job.

5. Align Yourself with the Company Culture:

All HR teams and departments have their working strategies to build effective workplace culture; thus, highlighting your capability and suitability to work in that environment will make you an even more powerful candidate.

On the other hand, this is a chance to say that you understand the company culture and even list an updating suggestion or two.

6. Use Keywords:

Using keywords that are related to the job opportunity is critical, not only to show the HR manager or the recruiter that you know the essentials about the position, but also to help your application get through the automated process successfully, which is probably the first step of today’s recruitment process.

7. Submit a Flawless Cover Letter:

Believe it or not, a simple spelling or grammar mistake could send your application to the rejected list, and it won’t be noticed whether in the automated process or by the HR team.

So, even though you are not expected to be a professional writer to write your cover letter, yet you are expected to submit an error-free edition, thus, proofreading once and twice to avoid any mistakes is important.

8. Show Excitement:

Although writing a cover letter should be professional, yet it is not a bad decision to show your excitement for the job position you are applying for, the company in general, and your future in it.

So, do not be shy to be excited about finding your dream job, and speak with an upbeat tone.

Mistakes to Avoid in Writing a Cover Letter:

When a company recruits employees for an open position, keep in mind that you are not the only one, and having mistakes in your application will not help you get the position, that is why you have to avoid the next mistakes when writing your cover letter:

· Use a General Cover Letter:

The cover letter should be custom written for each job you are applying for, with the same language that the company use, to show that you have full information about the company and position; furthermore, showing what you know about the company will make your application more personal.

· Copying Your Resume:

Your cover letter should be a supplement to your CV, not another copy with the exact same information written in different words, so keep the job application letter short and specific to the position with the whole story spoken in the resume.

· Too Much “I” is added:

Yes, you are talking about yourself but try not to make this too much obvious, with a lot of “I” in the cover letter, having too much “I” makes you look like you are self-centered person and not a company team player.

And remember, this is all about the company and what you can add to the position.

· Long Cover Letter:

Although there is a lot of information to include, yet you need to keep the cover letter short with all the essential information that would interest your recruiter included.

To Sum Up,

Adding a cover letter is always a plus and a positive addition to your job application, so, do it right with a strong resume to end up with your dream job, and remember we are here to help you in your job hunting.