A lot of jobs now require cover letters with their online applications. This makes a little more work for you to apply, but it gives you a great space to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Here’s how:
1. Personalize it
You should NEVER send the same cover letter to different employers. Apply your experience to the job duties & responsibilities you see in the job listing to increase your chances of a call-back!
2. Add the company address
At the top of the page, make sure the address of the company, as well as the name of the hiring manager or whoever is set to receive applications. You can usually find this info on the job listing, or on the company website. If you really can’t find anything, you can put ‘To Whom It May Concern,’. This helps make your cover letter look more professional and formalized - and increase your odds of getting called in to interview!
3. Add your contact info
Even if you have your phone number and email on your resume and in your email signature, you want to have it on your cover letter as well. Don’t make them search for it! Add it in the end in the last paragraph, after thanking them for their time.
4. Grammar, grammar, grammar
You MUST have correct grammar in your cover letter. This is not the time for shorthand or for typos - have a friend or family member read it and edit it for you. If you want more help, consider checking out your local unemployment center - they will most likely have someone who does this. You can also check out Grammarly - it’s free!
5. Sign it
This is one of the best ways to make your cover letter stand out from the crowd. Print out your cover letter, and sign it by hand! You can also scan your signature and keep the image file to use for other cover letters later on. No printer/scanner? Check out your local library, they will be able to help!
Have other cover letter tips to share? Comment below!!
I have been asked on this forum many times. If I have any advice to give people, other than job specific resumes and cover letters. This is extremely important! Poor spelling/ grammar suggests some other undesirable traits about you, e.g. a lack of attention to detail, laziness and a lack of pride in your work, Effective communication is crucial in business and is listed among the prerequisite requirements in 95% of job descriptions. If your spelling and grammar are poor, your ability to communicate is hampered. Most of us will spend a decent chunk of our working day writing – whether that’s sending emails, preparing proposals or writing reports. Since the job you’re applying for likely involves writing it’s understandable that an employer will favor a candidate with superior writing skills. I have been reading your posts and responses on every topic on this forum for 6 months, I have been shocked and concerned by the dreadful grammar and spelling in the posts and hope that the mistakes are not happening with your applications. Advice: proof read everything 4 times, everything, even your posts on here! I have my husband proof read everything before I submit it. You can have someone, friends, high school graduates, anyone proofread for you too. Go to the library and just ask the librarians. They might help you out. Be genuine and honest. Also, find an app or website that will do it for free, or cheap. Use this forum! I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings at all. I am just trying to help out. It's always better to make sure you have the best opportunity to land an interview. https://news.clearancejobs.com/2016/10/16/cant-get-job-bad-grammar/
It is pretty annoying to read a content full of grammatical and spelling errors. It is very important to double-check your work before publishing because the article with grammatical and spelling mistakes are bad for your business, reputation and also makes your content difficult https://youtu.be/IJ2SHSg5rIY
Hey Good People, when reading your posts, I can catch typo-graphical errors most of the time. However, there are times when misspellings change the meaning of a sentence, leading to confusion. Punctuation especially can cause much misunderstanding. So please if at all possible, utilize the spell-checker on your PC. One of the greatest problems in our global society is the lack of understanding.
Everyone - #observations #grammar #spelling #punctuation #remindertobemindful #communication
I'm still fairly new to jobcase.com, but I am an active person who usually tries to maintain my professionalism as much as possible. Now I'm not saying I'm perfect. Perfection does not exist, and even I make mistakes on occasion which I try to catch on a regular basis to avoid looking like an idiot myself. However, I have to point out an observation that should be discussed. It's only a kind reminder.
The observation is grammar, spelling and punctuation.
I think it's important for everyone to know that there are important people that view your profile daily, comment and/or simply sit back and observe others. You never know who is reading what you write, and with that said, grammar, spelling and punctuation is so important. Some people really need to understand that writing is important as it shows what and how your written communication is like.
If you're taking the easy or lazy route to communicating in your posts like "Intervie", "u2" or you don't know the difference between "there, their and they're" or "are and our" or you write short one-line, vague posts leaving other people to guess what you're saying or what you mean, it is and/or can be frustrating. It's important to be specific and proof read everything. These are examples that people see daily, and it doesn't make you look good in terms of professionalism, especially if you're seeking employment in a world where communication is so important.
This is NOT to point fingers at anyone, but to remind everyone to be mindful in general, and know that you are being observed everyday. Read your posts to yourself before posting it, and if it doesn't sound right, revise it and re-read it again. How you carry yourself, how you communicate, how you interact with others all determines how you get ahead in life.
Good luck!