A cover letter can help you make a great impression on potential employers. Here you go beyond your resume, let your personality shine through and convince the reader why you’re the perfect fit for the job. How to write a cover letter? You read it here:
How Important are cover letters?
First, let’s get an important question out of the way: are cover letters really that important?
Do recruiters really read cover letters?
As a former recruiter I can tell you they are important. However, they might not always be read 🙂
Wait..how?
A lot of job applications I would receive are without cover letter.
This can be through LinkedIn Easy Apply or the careers site or a job board where it’s not required to attach a cover letter.
Not adding a cover letter to an application shows you did not put a lot of effort into your application.
You most likely didn’t research the company and clicked on the ‘apply’ button with a standard resume.
To make your application stand out I would always advice to add a personalized cover letter.
Yes, it takes more time, but you only have one chance to make this great first impression!
Cover Letter Structure
How to write a cover letter? Let’s start with the cover letter layout!
- First Paragraph
Here you mention the position and company you’re applying for. Mention how you found the job opening and what motivates you to apply. Why this company? Why this job?
2. Second Paragraph
Here you mention your most relevant skills and experience. Why are you qualified for this job? Mention a few examples and go beyond your resume. Remember, you want to stand out from other job applicants. Really give this a good thought!
3. Third Paragraph
Now you relate your experience to the needs of the company. Which problem are you solving? How can your experience bring them closer to their goals? I would say this is the most important paragraph of the cover letter.
4. Fourth Paragraph
You close off by thanking the reader for their time and taking your application into consideration. Mention that you’re looking forward to meeting them in person to further highlight your skills and experience and how you can contribute to the success of the company.
Tips
- Cover letter lenght
Keep your cover letter short and sweet. Don’t exceed 1 page. Someone should be able to read it at a glance.
2. Addressing the cover letter
Find out the name of the recruiter you’re addressing this to. If you can’t find it you can address it to the team you’re applying for: ‘To the data team at Booking.com’
3. ChatGPT
You can definitely use the help of ChatGPT. Paste the job description of the role you’re applying for in ChatGPT and ask it to write a cover letter for you. You can use this as a start, but of course always adjust it to your own wordings after.
4. Final touch
Now you’ve finished your cover letter, make sure you reread it at a later time with fresh eyes. Maybe you can even ask your friends to have a look at it. After reading your cover letter do they have the impression you’re the most qualified candidate for this job?
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Address your cover letter to a specific person if possible. This can be the recruiter or hiring manager.
If you don’t know the name, you can simply state ‘Dear hiring manager’ or address it to the team you’re applying to ‘To the Data team of Booking.com’