How to Write a Compelling and Professional Cover Letter for Job Application

Your cover letter must be able to compel the hiring manager to go through your CV/Resume and invite you for an interview.

What is a Cover Letter?

Your cover letter is often your first interview with a company, the first chance for a hiring agent to get to know you. A good cover letter can help you make a good impression and get an interview. A weak cover letter might cause your resume to be placed in the reject pile.

Your cover letter is where you sell yourself professionally and be able convince the recruiter or hiring manager that you are a good fit for the job

Well, I've heard people say "Cover Letter is just a waste of time, the recruiters won't read it", this might be true but I'll still advise you to send IF it's requested for as part of the application

The truth is, most Hiring Managers or Recruiters may never get to read your cover letter but there's 50% chances that HRs will check it out before sending it to the hiring manager who will go ahead to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your resume.?

There are three stages your cover letter must achieve if it must yield the best result

Stage 1: Hook the Reader;

The first paragraph of your cover letter must be able to grab the attention of the reader. You can start by explaining why you are interested in that particular role or talk about the interesting thing you've read on the internet about the company

Stage 2: Story

Ofcourse, every story has three elements which are hero, conflict and resolution. In this context, you are the hero

You must talk about the solution the role solves, and how you (Hero) have been able to solve some of the problems in your last jobs or experience?

Last Stage: Offer /Call to Action;

Every great content always ends with a call to action.?

This part is where you initiate an interview or further discussion on the job application.

Infact, you can use these stages to craft your about section on your LinkedIn profile ??

So now let's check out step by step process to writing a professional cover letter;

1. STATE YOUR INTENTIONS:

Why are you applying? Give a reason and note exactly what you are applying for. Mention the role specifically to make it easier for recruiters who receive applications for multiple positions.?

2. RELATED EXPERIENCE:

This is where you talk about past and current experience and how it relates to the job and future goals. You must be able to link the past, present and the future together. Summarize your experience briefly only including roles and tasks that are specifically related to the open position. This is the paragraph where you communicate your qualifications, experiences and Core Competencies.

3. WHAT YOU ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE;

This is related to point 2 but the goal now is to indicate that you've read their job description and match your specific experience to their specific asks. If the job description asks for a creative and managerial stuffs, pick two or three things you feel are the core of what they need and address that.

4. CLOSING:

This is where you initiate a call to action; ask for an opportunity to meet them in person or have an interview with them.?

For example; “While my resume only provides a brief history of my past experiences, I would love the chance to further discuss my candidacy for this opportunity. Thank you for your time and consideration.”

Finally, The content of your cover letter is important, but so is how you express your ideas. Ensure you use the right words for easier communication and understanding, and don't forget to insert necessary keywords related to the job you are applying for

Remember to keep it simple and don't like about your skills or experiences, you might get caught and lose a good opportunity of getting the job.

Your cover letter shouldn't be more than a page. Try as much as possible to summarize everything in a page.

I think I've done justice to this topic.

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Bye for now ??