Easy to Follow Cover Letter Checklist to Impress Hiring Manager
Your resume undoubtedly has to be impeccable, but it is the cover letter that first reaches your prospective employer and should stand out to get you that desired job.
Create a draft of your cover letter and check whether all the items included in your cover letter checklist have been taken care of. Ideally your cover letter checklist should include all the aspects of content and format that you have to keep in mind while writing your cover letter.
A cover letter writing has to be good enough to explain briefly how your qualifications, skills and experience can be useful to the company. It should be self-explanatory and stand out so that it catches the attention of the employer and enables to prioritize candidates easily.
When you are writing your cover letter, make sure that you notice all the important areas before dashing it off to your potential employer. The best way to ensure that your cover letter is perfect is by keeping a handy cover letter checklist so that you don’t miss out on the essentials.
Cover Letter Checklist
Personal Information
The cover letter should clearly state your personal information that includes your Name, Home Address, Phone number and Email address followed by the Date.
Employer Contact Information
Follow it up with the contact information of the employer.
Take care to include the correct name of the company and contact person, make sure you address the individual with correct name and job title. This should include the Name, Title, and Address of the Company.
When this information is not available, address the cover letter to the Hiring Manager.
Salutation
The salutation can include Dear Mr./Ms followed by the Last Name or just Dear Hiring Manager.
The Body of the Cover Letter
While writing the cover letter make sure that you adhere to the specifics of the job posting you are applying for and do everything possible to make a good first impression.
First Paragraph
State the purpose of your letter. Clearly mention the position that is vacant in the job listing and in which you are interested. In case you are applying for the particular job through a mutual contact, this is the place to list it out.
Middle Paragraph
Mention briefly how you fit the role and why you should be called for an interview.
Tailor this section based on the posted job requirements. Pick 3 to 5 requirements that match your skills and describe them here.
Additional skills and qualification can be added in your resume.
Concluding Paragraph
Thank your prospective employer for his time and be sure to express your enthusiasm to follow-up either by a mail or a phone call.
Closing
Close your cover letter with a respectable subscription such as, Regards, Respectfully yours, or Sincerely followed by your signature.
It’s better to practice writing cover letter based on the cover letter checklist.
Always remember to customize your cover letter based on the job description.
Here is an Amazing Cover Letter Template with secret sentence to land your dream job.
Leslie Anglesey is a professional educator, writer and workshop leader. She works as a contributor to the custom writing company EssayTigers.