Would you believe it or not, but there is still a bunch of hiring managers that meticulously read each and every cover letter they receive. Even if they get tones of job applications and they are in rush for a suitable candidate, they still make time for at least scanning through cover letters. Having said that, we would recommend that you take preparing a cover letter as seriously as you work on your resume. Those hiring managers who usually do not read cover letters can ignore it in any case. But those who do, will be disappointed not receiving one. A well-written cover letter can substantially increase your chances of getting you an interview; whereas a poor cover letter may simply discourage from looking further at your resume.

Two approaches may be used in cover letter creation. First, when you compose your cover letter as a response to a specific job ad. And second, when you post your application profile on jobbards. Needless to say that a tailored cover letter is more welcome by hiring managers, as it not only indicates your skills suitable for the job but also demonstrates your knowledge of and interest in a particular employer. The more targeted your cover letter is, the higher your competitiveness gets. Some hiring managers look at a cover letter only to check if an applicant is sending it to the specific organization, because he or she is interested in working for it, or if this cover letter is generic for every job he or she applies. Certainly, a customized cover letter is a hard thing to do for those who prefer massive application submission or just want to post their resume and cover letter on jobboards.

In fact, what should you do if you just need to accompany your resume with a cover letter on a jobboard and you are unaware of specifics that a potential employer has? In this case you should proceed from your own aspirations. Try to picture a job that you want to do and in which you can succeed. Determine what qualifications would be required for such a job and link them to the most significant your achievements. Do not go too explicit in trying to convey everything you can do.

Traditionally, the cover letter consists of three major parts:

• First – introduction. It should not be long, do not repeat your resume.
• Second, main body – explain why you WANT and CAN work for this particular employer.
• And third, – let the employer know your further actions: whether you are going to call them or will expect to hear back from them.

As we mentioned before, a customized cover letter has a better chance to get you an interview, and here we wanted to list a couple of “secrets” that are basically familiar to everyone, but for some reasons are not used properly:

Insure the hiring manager that you are interested particularly in this position and in working particularly for this employer. You can do this by means of at least three important things:

First, address your cover letter to the live person; do not write “dear madam or sir” especially while applying to a particular organization.

Second, necessarily indicate that you know the company and the position and here your thorough research should come in. Demonstrate that you went beyond just looking at the company’s website. There is no lack of sources you may retain to do your research: networking, other websites that may contain information about the company you apply to, even news sites or different professional publications. If you work with a recruiter, ask them to provide you with some additional information about their client that would help you stand out.

Third, assure the hiring person that you and only you are the best fit for the role. Different visual techniques exist to help you with this. One of the most popular ones is listing the company’s requirements on the left side of your cover letter and your matching skills and experience on the right side. Such a layout inevitably will grab attention, won’t it?

Perhaps you wish to develop your cover letter from a template. It may be an effective and time saving approach, given the abundance of examples on the internet and in career advice books. However, be careful of getting in a situation when the language of your cover letter will substantially differ from the one you will speak in an interview. Even if you use a template, make it completely yours so that you feel comfortable with it.

Do not go too far in using a fussy language, which is often used to say nothing at all. Even about complicated things you can say in a not necessarily plain but understandable language. Even if you were really involved in “coordinating effective implementation of strategic tasks”, try to explain in a human language what it practically means. Give an example.

Be concise! In the past, a cover letter served as an evidence of a candidate’s writing abilities. Now, with a slue of cover letter templates available, it hardly remains the case. Although your flowery eloquence may impress someone in the first place, it will not necessarily assure the hiring person that you are the best fit for the role.

Marketing yourself is a good thing to do especially when it comes to the cover letter. The questions is – how to do it right. Mentioning that you possess “a thorough knowledge of”, say, “employee benefits and pension system” may sound quite impressive. But wouldn’t it sound more impressive, if you indicate that your “thorough knowledge of the company’s benefit and pension systems enabled you to develop a flexible group performance pay plan for employees”. Prove that you not just HAVE your knowledge and skills but you USED them and will do so for the future employer.

Also, along with listing your most significant accomplishments and outstanding qualifications indicate the points that you would like to bring to a conversation in an interview. It helps you look professional, demonstrate your interest in the company and the job and shed light on your personality.

And last but not least, given all mentioned above, there is one the most difficult thing to do about your cover letter – you need to keep it short!!! Edit, edit and, once again, edit! You’ll see it really requires much time to create a concise cover letter.