In the last two years, millions of people have reevaluated their long-term careers and exited the workforce, searching for new challenges, higher salaries, or more relevant opportunities. Unfortunately, this means the competition for the most meaningful, well-paying jobs is fierce, and companies have the leverage to choose among more than one qualified applicant.

In a conservative estimate, most research indicates that employers spend less than one minute looking at job applications or resumes – often even half that amount of time. However, resumes with accompanying cover letters have a much higher chance of consideration.

So how do you ensure your cover letter makes it to the top of the stack and edges out your competition? Unfortunately, there are no formulas for guaranteed success, but there are some specific strategies to help.

Before You Begin Writing, Review the Job Description

While you can reuse a resume with only slight changes for each position you apply for, you need to customize your cover letter for each potential employer. The cover letter is your opportunity to set yourself apart from other job prospects and increase your resume's chances of being reviewed.

Many job seekers make the mistake of submitting a generic cover letter or one that doesn't relate to the specific position available. For example, a generic cover letter might include a sentence like "My financial background makes me a great candidate for a position in banking." In contrast, a customized cover letter would read, "My experience as a retail banker has prepared me for a position as a Personal Banker with United Bank."

Before writing your cover letter, review the job description and make notes about the specific tasks or duties mentioned. Then, add a sentence or two that speaks to each job requirement and how your particular skills and experiences are relevant to those employment requirements.

Another tactic that increases the chances of making it to the job interview stage is personalizing the cover letter to the degree to which the company understands you've done your research. While you don't want your letter to sound like a page right off of Wikipedia, organically working in specific facts about the company can help set your cover letter apart from other applicants.

For instance, if the company recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, a mention of this milestone relative to your desire to work for an established business is likely to impress a hiring manager.

Watch this Video: Cover Letter Templates and Step-by-Step Tips on How to Write a Top-Notch Cover Letter!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ucb_P3b1Ln0

Draft, Edit, and Polish the Cover Letter

During the excitement of finding a new job and applying, it can be tempting for job seekers to rush through the application process and submit the cover letter without allowing time for sufficient edits and revisions.

Instead, the better path is to treat the cover letter like a school assignment. After reviewing the job description, create a rough draft of the cover letter that incorporates all critical information – greeting, introduction, body, conclusion, and sign-off.

If you're having difficulty getting started, using cover letter examples can help you find ideas relevant to your field of work. However, remember to use samples and templates as a guideline and inspiration and never directly copy anyone else's text.

After letting your first draft sit for a full day, revisit the following day to read it through and make the necessary edits. Often, once you have had time to think about the subject, more information will come to mind, or previously unclear thoughts become more succinct.

Once you have edited your cover letter, ask a trusted colleague or family member to read it and offer an honest review or helpful tips based on clarity, conciseness, and relevance. It's also beneficial to read the letter aloud to ensure the paragraphs flow smoothly and potentially find any minor errors missed in the editing process.

Use Professional Tools to Improve Your Cover Letter

Even the best editing for spelling mistakes or grammatical errors can leave room for improvement. Thankfully, some great professional proofreading tools are available online for little or no financial investment that can dramatically improve your writing.

Tools like Grammarly are great at identifying unclear phrases, passages written in a passive voice, and sentence structures that need improving. If you're having trouble trying to word a particular sentence, tools like Wordtune can help you reword sentences in a way that reads better.

These tools can also be a great help when developing your CV or resume, as well.

Format Your Cover Letter Properly

Once you have edited your cover letter, made revisions using the help of examples and templates, and used professional editing tools to improve it further, it's also important to format your cover letter in a way that is easy to read, send, and open.

If the HR department or potential boss has asked for a cover letter in a specific format, it's vital to follow these directions. For example, if the job listing specifics that cover letters should be one-page in length and attached to an email, following these instructions signals to the employer that you can follow directions.

If the format is not specified, it's best practice to save your cover letter as a PDF so that any business can safely open your attachment. In addition, the letter itself should be kept to one page, have consistent spacing and margins, use a sans serif font in readable type size, and include contact information that is consistent with your resume and application.

Final Advice on Cover Letters

Even if a job posting doesn't require it, a cover letter is vital if you want to attract the attention of an employer.

When created thoughtfully with intentional preparation, thoroughly edited, and formatted in a readable and professional manner, the addition of a cover letter can dramatically improve your chances of landing that new career opportunity.