The rate of unemployment is expected to rise at 6.20 percent in 2020. The higher rates mean less job for which more unemployed person is going to compete. That’s mean on average we can expect more application for a single job opportunity.

Competition is tough. How to stand out from the crowd? If you want to acquire your dream job successfully, then you will have to focus on cover letter writing tips.

Keep in mind; sometimes, small changes make a big difference. In this article, I’m going to share the top 10 cover letter writing tips that let you get instant attention from an employer.

1. Spend an hour on research 

Don’t start writing a cover letter unless you have a complete idea about the job requirements.

• Read job descriptions twice or thrice.

• Highlight essential job requirements.

• Research about the company and its culture.

• Know what exactly company wants from its employee

The whole research won’t take more than an hour from your side, but you would be able to write a good cover letter.

2. Focus on Quality

Many candidates focus on the quantity of their application while making a compromise on quality. A typical style everyone follows is one where you read a job post, attach your CV, and start writing a job letter.

Even many other people use the same CV and letter and send it to the hiring manager after making a few changes.

You can speed up your application process, but this speed won’t help you land a job anytime soon. It is easy to send tons of applications in an hour, but you might not get any results from it.

So, what you need to do?

Try to write a separate letter that addresses all aspects of a job advertisement. Understand what an employer wants from you and then write a message accordingly.

Don’t just edit the CV, be proactive. Try to match your skills with the job requirements.

You might spend some time on all this, but this time investment brings fruitful results in a short time. Instead of sending tons of job applications, try to send only a few quality applications. Focus more on quality and less on quantity.

And, this quality-oriented cover letter will help you land on a job interview very soon. Explore best interview Skills and Techniques

3. Keep cover letter To-the-point 

You are not the only candidate who applied for a job. Keep in mind that many others also applied. If you want that a hiring manager considers your letter, then don’t beat about the bush.

1. Use a formal yet sweet tone

• A letter should have only four-paragraph

• Try to explain everything about you, your skills and experience in three-line

• Comprehension is the ultimate key to success

Know: What to Say When Writing a Cover Letter for Job With No Experience

A hiring manager is a busy person, and he can spend only 60 seconds in your letter. Once you write a letter, make sure you check its reading time on Grammarly. This checking will help you understand how long it will take a person to read your message.

4. Sign your Cover Letter by Hand

Sending a word-file of your cover letter is an old method; every other applicant does this. Since you want to look different, then try to go outside your comfort zone. Turn your document into PDF, install PDF application, and sign your cover letter by hand.

Here is a guide on how to sign PDF document

Why sign a cover letter by hand? Because it adds personal and professional appeal to a document.

5. Must do Proof-Reading

It’s good to have confidence in your writing, but always proof-read your letter before you send it. You can get a hand from a free Grammarly tool available online. Paste your script there and get the formal writing suggestions. Even it will add proper white space and punctuation. Make sure you pick a formal writing style from it. 

Spelling and grammatical mistakes in your letter leave a wrong impression on your hiring manager. Therefore, try to avoid them at any cost. It is one of those cover letter writing tips you should never overlook.

6. Follow a Proper Format

Once you are done with writing and proof-reading, the next important step is to polish it well. It means adding contact information, emails, and other details. Sending a cover letter in a formal style is becoming a trend these days.

However, when you are sending a letter in the form of email, then a killer subject-line is a must. 

7. Highlight Key Skills and Achievements

The purpose of a cover letter is to mention those essential skills and achievements that you might have missed, on purpose, in your CV. Make sure your cover letter sounds different from your resume. Here are some cover letter writing tips:

• Focus on three critical skills, explain to them a bit

• Share a short story about your achievement

• Again, keep it short, sweet, and straightforward.

8. Add Unique Phrases

Hiring manager gets attentive to a letter that doesn’t have typical cliches like “I’m passionate,” “ I’m a team player, etc. They already read these lines thousands of times. Therefore, such phrases fail to spell magic you want to.

Try to come up with unique phrases that explain your experience and achievement in a creative style.

9. Add Numbers and Stat

Do you want to sound professional? Whenever you explain your success story or achievement, then you should add some numbers to highlight it well. Like you can tell how you increase Facebook followers for your last employer last year from 20k to 30k.

Conclusion:

The purpose of following all these cover letters writing tips is to write a message that is read well by your hiring manager. Make sure you understand all the requirements of sending a cover letter like to send it via email or in hard copy format. When you read correctly, follow all the requirements, you can expect good response to your job application.