While your resume is the most crucial part of the application process, a cover letter, when done correctly, can serve as a valuable means of providing a potential employer with a more personalized, informal overview of your background. Ideally, the cover letter should provide a brief introduction to your skill set and most valuable achievements while leading the reader to more detailed information within the resume itself. When written with as much thought and care as your resume, a well-worded cover letter can go a long way in securing that dream job.

What to Include

Although the cover letter is certainly an informal document, especially when compared to a resume, there are certain formalities that are expected. It’s important to format the cover letter in the proper letter standard. Include your personal header at the top as well as the contact information of the company you are writing to. If possible, include the name of the hiring manager who is responsible for interviewing and hiring within the organization. If their name is unknown, generic titles can be used instead.

Once you’re past the formatting, it’s time to fill in the content of your cover letter. It should be brief, no more than a few paragraphs in length, but it should contain enough information to let your potential employer form a preliminary opinion on your background.

You may even consider using bullet points to separate specific achievements within the body of your cover letter. If you decide to take this route, make sure to use only a few bullet points. For maximum effect, you should position all of your bullet points in between an opening paragraph and a closing statement.

Whatever you decide on, make sure it’s a format that can easily be adjusted and modified as needed. The ideal cover letter is tailored to fit each individual application and position, so you’ll want to have a digital copy of your cover letter available in order to customize it for each specific ompany.

What to Avoid

Since the cover letter is meant to provide your potential employer with a quick introduction, it’s simply not necessary to include a lot of detail. Describing some of your most valuable achievements is fine, and even suggested, but you don’t need to list every single task you’ve performed with every one of your past employers. You can save that for the resume itself.

Finally, applicants should forego information that doesn’t strictly relate to the position they are applying for. Many job seekers use the cover letter as an opportunity to list their personal hobbies, interests and other details of their life, but such information simply isn’t necessary. If it doesn’t pertain specifically to the job or company in question, you can probably leave it out of the cover letter entirely.

A leader in light industrial staffing, Automation Personnel Services also places employees in manufacturing and distribution services, engineering and technical management positions, and office support services. Let us know how we can help your company today!