A cover letter can be an integral part of capturing an employers attention, it’s a great tool to grab attention and showcase your skills.  These letters are a great way to pique interest about your skills and what you have to offer for a specific position.  This guide will be broken down into the main sections that compose a professional cover letter.

When applying for jobs online its usually nice to say something about your self and your skills in the email instead of just firing off your resume. Having a solid document that quickly points out your top skills and attributes, how and where you can help and why you’re the right fit can only increase your chances of getting a job.

Structuring your letter format:

• Introduction ( about you, your experiences , what you do)
• Body ( what you bring as an employee, what you bring to the specific situation)
• Conclusion ( thanking them for the time, contact info)

Introduction:
In this section state your name, what you do and your purpose. The goal of this section is to give potential employers an overview of the type of person you are. Here you could also list relevant skills and attributes.
 
Example:
Hello my name is Joe Thomas, I have 7 years experience as an administrative assistant and exemplary computer skills. I have completed high school and have some college experience.

Body:

Here is where you want to sell your self. Make a list of your positive attributes as an employee and relate them to the job you are applying for. Everyone says they are a hard worker- try and mix it up. You would also want to include something specific to the job you are applying for here. I

In our example Joe is applying for a Secretary job.  Remember the main goal of reading a guide like this is to apply the structure to your own skills, write down all your ideas and organize them.  Rework how you’re presenting your skills until your satisfied.

Example:
I have exceptional skills solving problems and working in teams. I am an organized person who likes to work with and learn from other people. I type 51 words per minute which will help me excel in this secretary position. I also have a high level of phone and computer skills that will allow me to perform my duties as efficiently as possible.

Conclusion:
In the business world time is a very important commodity and you want to be making sure you are thanking people for their time. Even if it is just looking at your resume you should extend a thank you to let the person know you appreciate their efforts. And its just nice. When’s the last time you got a thank you letter?

In this section be sure to make reference to your contact information. If you have a proffered way you’d like to be contacted this would be the place to highlight that.

Example:
I appreciate you taking the time to read this letter, I hope we can connect in the near future. Please don’t hesitate to contact me b phone below, I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you
Joe Thomas

Cover letters that are long, full of trivial information are unnecessary. Most people don’t have time to read a 3 page over view about your life. Simply organize the most important skills you have to offer to the position and condense in the formula above.

The most important part is the body section. Expand on yourself and your skills here, show them why if they don’t call you they are losing out. Your goal is to sell yourself for the opportunity for an interview. Most people try making a cover letter to get a job.  However this is incorrect, you should use this letter to establish contact & increase your chances of getting an interview, in the interview is where you pitch yourself for the job.

Your letter should leave the interviewer interested enough to go ahead with reading your resume, again don’t try and force all your details and accomplishments in the letter.  Leave some mystery for your resume.

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