Cover Letter Writing Tips

Here are some cover letter writing tips to help you create cover letters that get read and get noticed...for the right reasons.

You don't want to bore your reader (ie. the hiring manager) like many people do with their cover letters. You want to stand out for the right reasons.

Here are some suggestions to help achieve this:

Should I always use a cover letter with my resume?

Yes. Always include a cover letter with your resume and ensure that the cover letter is tailored to the position and company you are applying to. As mentioned above, personalize the letter to address by specific person you are writing to.

Should I simply highlight my resume within the cover letter?

No. The hiring manager can read your resume so what is the point of simply mentioning everything twice? Your cover letter needs to convince the hiring manager that they need to read your resume. You accomplish this by following the tips mentioned above and ensuring that your cover letter highlights why you stand out from average candidates.

Should I use nice colorful paper to print my resume on?

No. Using high quality plain white paper ensures that your resume looks good when you’ve printed it out and also ensures that your recipient can scan it easily if they want to enter your resume into their database. Don’t bother with colored paper because again, it could cause trouble with your recipient’s scanner. Plus, you want to ensure that the highlight of your cover letter is the content, not the color.

Finally, make sure that the font and paper type of your cover letter match your resume. The cover letter and resume should go hand in hand.

Oh yes, always type your cover letter. Do not handwrite it!