First of all, we explain what a cover letter is. This document or text, which is also called ‘cover letter’. It is a brief introduction made by a candidate to a company or recipient of interest.
If you are thinking of applying for a vacancy via email or connecting directly with a company, you can use this letter to introduce yourself and make your profile known.
The cover letter cangenerate interestin the recipient to know your resume in depth.
So, the first recommendation is that the letter should not be sent generically. That is, you have to personalize it and address each recipient differently. Don’t forward the same to different companies.
It is vital, that “you highlight your full name and position. In the first paragraph, make clear the vacancy you are applying for and include key information,” explained Laura Cárdenas, professional coach.
According to Cardenas, he also “briefly mentions why you want to work at that company, why you would fit into the business.” In addition, at this point you can highlight your similarity with what is needed in the company, your related knowledge and experience.
Basically, in the first paragraphs you should highlight:
- Experience and job profile
- Intention to be used and made known
- Knowledge
On the other hand, remembernot to exceed three or four paragraphs, which should be concrete, easy to read and organized.
Also, do not neglect your spelling and writing; This cover letter is the first impression you leave on the reader. If you’re not sure of your wording, you can use spell checkers or ask someone to read to you.
Finally, the expert said that it is important to make a ‘call to action’, which is basically to invite the recipient to contact you and possibly a meeting to get to know you better.
For example: “I would like to have the opportunity to talk in a future interview to expand the information you consider relevant.”
Do not forget to sign with all your contact information: name and surname; email address; cell phone and, if you wish, your address.
Some people prefer to send this text in the body of an email and attach their resume. However, using the cover letter, at times when the company has not published vacancies and you only want to apply, can be effective in making yourself known.
For your convenience, we have arranged a basic template of a cover letter at the end of this note.