It is an easy mistake.



You see a job advert and you know you are qualified. In excitement, the next thing you do is send your cover letter and CV to the hiring manager.



Right?



No, don’t ever do that.

First impressions matter a lot but when you send your application without paying considerable attention to the cover letter, then you are missing a good chance to create a good first impression.

The good news though is that writing an effective cover letter that gets the attention of the hiring manager is not rocket science.and can be learnt.

That is exactly the focus of this article. Help you understand what a cover letter is and how you can write a good cover letter anytime you are applying for a job vacancy.

So what is a cover letter?



What is a cover letter?

A cover letter for a job is a letter of introduction that introduces you to the potential employer stating why you are the perfect candidates for the job roles advertised.



Now that we have gotten the definition of what a cover letter is, let us look at why a cover letter is important and how you can write one.



Before we progress, let me tell you Mary’s story.



I met Mary about 8 months ago and immediately I saw her, I knew something was wrong. Over coffee, she explained how she was frustrated with her job search. She has sent her CV to different recruiters and she has not heard back from them. So she was worried about what she might be doing wrong.



Of course, it did not take a seer to know precisely where the issues are. If you keep sending your CV to recruiters and you are not getting an invite for interview, it simply can be one of two things.



Either you are sending to the wrong person or your CV is not catching their attention.



But before a recruiter reads your CV, there is an introductory letter that accompanies a CV. That introduction letter is what is known as a cover letter and it is your perfect opportunity to get your foot in.





Do Cover Letter Still Matters to Recruiters?

When sending a resume, writing a good cover letter is important. This is because apart from the fact that some job advert specifically requires you to send a cover letter, recruiters like Susanne still believes cover letter are important. According to her cover letters are your one chance to explain who you are, not just what you’ve done. While it’s true that some recruiters and hiring managers don’t look at cover letters, many do. And among those that do, a strong cover letter can make the difference between getting an interview and being ignored.



What Are the Basic Features of an Effective Cover Letter?

An effective cover letter should contain the following features:

It should be specific to the job role advertised.
It should not be more than 1 page. In fact the shorter the better
It should accompany your CV

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