Cover letter
What is a cover letter?
"The cover letter is your personal introduction to a prospective employer outlining your interest in the position and the organization, and expressing why you are qualified for the position. While your resume lists your relevant skills and experience, your cover letter expresses your interest and motivation for the position by highlighting your strongest and most relevant assets."
-Yale, Office of Career Strategy
Consider the following three steps when writing a cover letter:
Step 1: Hook your reader’s interest in the first paragraph.
Open with a professional but bold statement that catches the reader’s eye. Here’s a fun opening with a pitch, “Looking for a dynamic social media guru? Look no further.”
In the first paragraph, you also have to state why you are so interested in this particular position or organization. You must give specific reasons as to why this organization is so great. Look on their website, google them, follow them on LinkedIn, and find out as much information as you can about them. Then tell the reader what impressed you the most.
Step 2: Prove your skills.
Identify the top few qualities the company wants in an applicant. Then use your cover letter to demonstrate you have those skills, giving examples as to how you’ve used them in the past and how you’ll use them to make a difference.
While doing this, use numbers and statistics to back up your claim. You want to present yourself as a results-driven go-getter.
Step 3: Write a strong closing.
Be forward and be direct. “I look forward to scheduling an interview with you so we can discuss how I can help you thrive in your mission to provide quality healthcare to all citizens of America.” State your next step of wanting an interview and put the focus on how you can help the organization.
When concluding your cover letter, consider the following question: "What skills and what qualities do you have that this organization cannot live without?" Answering this question will result in a strong conclusion to your letter.