7 Steps to Writing a Perfect Cover Letter
By JG Côté

The cover letter is a very important compliment to any good resume.  A good well prepared cover letter can catch the eye of a potential employer.  Often a good cover letter can even be the only reason a potential employer moves on to read your resume.  Remember, your cover letter is designed to catch the eye of your potential employer in order to get them interested in what you have to offer.  As well, you can often include additional details in your cover letter that are missing from your resume.

For a cover letter to be good, it must follow certain basic principles.  Below you will find some basic advice on how to write the perfect cover letter.

(1) Don’t Rush:

The cover letter is usually the first thing an employer sees when you apply for a job.  Therefore it is essential that you take your time and write your cover letter properly.  This includes ensuring that you address the appropriate people (don’t mix up the names), give accurate information and correct any spelling mistakes or errors.  Remember you want to leave a good first impression with your potential employers so take your time and don’t rush through putting together your information.   

(2) Be Concise & To The Point:

You must keep your cover letter brief and to the point.  Potential employers do not want to get a 1000 word story when you submit your cover letter.  Therefore keep things simple (1 page only) while including all the relevant information you want them to read.  Think of your cover letter as a quick overview of yourself and why you are applying for that specific job position.   

(3) Use Your Own Style:

A Cover letter gives an employer a sneak peak at your personality in a way that your resume can’t.  Although a resume is very important and can reveal many of your important attributes, a cover letter allows an employer to briefly “get to know” you.  Therefore it is important to you own style in order to try and stand out from all the other job candidates.  

(4) Be Original:

Being original is similar to using your own style.  The key is to show potential employers that you can think “outside the box” and offer them something unique and different from other job candidates.  Highlight your own unique skills and strengths and emphasize how you can personally contribute to the company or organization.   

(5) Focus On The Employer:

It is important to try and avoid starting all of your sentences with the words “My” or “I”.  This can leave the impression of self-centeredness or that you are not interested in the employer who is hiring you.  As an alternative, try to start some sentences with “You” or “Your”.  What this does is show the employer that you want to work for them and not yourself.  The key is to focus on the employer and their needs.  Highlight what you can specifically do for them.

(6) Address The Letter To An Inividual:

If possible you should always try to address your cover letter to the person who you will be interviewing you.  If this is not possible, try to at least address the letter to someone (for example, the human resources worker).  There is nothing more “ordinary” than a cover letter addressed as Dear Sir or Madame.  Only use this if it is completely necessary.  If you are able to address someone directly you are able to make a connection with the reader and show that you have a good knowledge of the employer.

(7) Proofread, Proofread, & Proofread:

The last and most important step in writing a proper cover letter is to proofread, proofread and proofread again!  I cannot stress this enough.  It is absolutely essential that you correct all spelling and grammatical errors before you send in a cover letter.  Remember that the only thing worse than no cover letter is a bad cover letter.  So make sure you look over your cover letter well and make it the perfect representation of yourself.