What Will Examples of Good Cover Letters Contain?
You absolutely cannot underestimate the advantages of reading examples of good cover letters. The job market today is such that you simply cannot afford not to do your very best, and that means submitting a resume, a cover letter, and a curriculum vitae when you apply for a job.
This has not always been true, of course. Time was, submitting a resume was quite sufficient. Right now, however, the job market — in all industries — is more competitive than it has ever been before. Finding a job can be something of a cutthroat endeavor. You have to be the best, or you might as well be ready to move on right now. If you are not willing to be the best or to do your best, then you are going to ultimately have to settle for a job that does not fulfill you — or else deal with being unemployed.
Since most of us are unfamiliar with writing a cover letter, you can easily see the importance of studying up on examples of good cover letters. Thus, we are going to take a look at some of the do’s and don’ts of writing a cover letter. In its way, it is just as specialized and specific as your resume and your curriculum vitae.
Good cover letter examples will make it clear that you need to address a specific and named person when you are writing your letter. However, the salutation should be proper, appropriate, and inoffensive. Thus, do not address it to any “gentlemen” or any “ladies.” That is definitely not necessary. Your first paragraph is very important. Do not make it boring. If you do, then you are doomed from the start, because the hiring manager is not going to be at all interested in what you have to say. You have to grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning, and that means making sure that he or she knows straight away that you are the best person for the job.
You need to stay away from cliches and from stating the obvious. A good way to tell examples of good cover letters from bad ones lies in the fact that the bad ones are chock full of cliches and meaningless blather. For instance, you do not need to mention that your resume is enclosed. The employer knows that.
You also need to understand that most of the burden here lies on you. The only thing the hiring manager is responsible for is reading what you write — and only then if it is interesting and relevant. For instance, you cannot leave it up to a potential employer to get in contact with you. It is up to you to ask for an interview, it is up to you to get in contact with the employer after you have sent your resume, cover letter, and curriculum vitae.
The best examples of good cover letters will be simple and to the point. This is unquestionably the most important piece of cover letter advice that you will ever receive. Your letter should be grammatically correct. The sentence structure should be concise. There should not be any typos. The content needs to be right to the point, especially in terms of just why you are right for the job and what you hope to bring to it.