Remember, not all cover letters are the same. Following are the four different types of cover letters. Follow the tips below in order to make each letter impressive enough to win the interview for you.
1. How to Respond to an Advertisement
• Be specific and focused. Highlight your skills and qualifications and respond to the specific requirements stated in the advertisement.
• Write directly to the contact person stated in the advertisement.
• If you are responding to a recruitment agency, refer to ‘your client’ or ‘your client’s organization’ instead of ‘you’ or ‘your company’.
2. How to Write Cold-call or Canvassing Letters
When there has been no specific job-advertisement put out, but you still want to find out about and express your interest in the jobs that might be available now or in the future, you have to write a canvassing cover letter.
• Clearly, mention in the opening paragraph that you are inquiring if a position is available.
• Describe thoroughly the type of position you are looking for.
• Design the letter content in a way that should interest the reader enough to contact you.
• Research and gather information regarding the structure, history, achievements and goals of the company in order to match your selling points to the needs of the company.
3. How to Write Referral Letters
When you want to apply for an interview in a company or a recruiting firm on the recommendation of someone in your network, such as your friend working in that company, you need to write a referral letter.
• Mention the person who is recommending you as an introduction in the opening paragraph. However, make sure that you have taken the permission to use the name of the person who has referred you.
4. How to Write Online Cover Letters
In the present age of Internet, online letters are the most used method of writing cover letters. In an online cover letter, you write an email to respond to the advertisements published on the Internet, in the newspaper or on a touch-screen.
• Use the ‘subject’ line of the email to write the title of the position you are applying for.
• There is no need to use the full mailing address of the person you are writing to. That does not make any sense. Simply, use the salutation line, such as ‘Dear Mr Thomas’.
• Design your content in a way that is easy to read and to the point.
• Keep your paragraphs short.
• Use bullet style format.
• Avoid bold type or italics.
• Writing all in upper case is a definite NO-NO. Remember, in an email, it is considered a form of yelling!
Hence, identify which type of letter you are writing, and follow the above tips in order to ensure your call for the interview.
