Write a resume cover letter in 5 easy steps
Legal LawApplying for a job is not a piece of cake! The more interviews you get, the better your odds. Your cover letter and resume are the first things that will get you a foot in the recruiter’s door. Now do a simple calculation: the job you also applied for includes 100 or maybe 1000 candidates who already applied for the same job. In this scenario, recruiters will start with “resume classification.” Here, only a well-written resume cover letter will stand a chance at an interview.
This classification is a fundamental step from the recruiter’s point of view to refine their recruitment process. However, from the perspective of the candidates, it is the first door of OPPORTUNITY, which they cannot afford to miss.
Answer these questions to evaluate the performance of your RESUME/COVER LETTER
1. Do you have a 1 page resume?
2. Do you edit your resume and cover letter every time you apply for a job?
3. Do you update your key skills on your resume?
4. Do you format your resume based on the recruiter’s requirements?
If your answer to the above questions is “NO”, then you should continue reading this article.
1 The typical MISTAKE candidates make on their RESUME is “they don’t CUSTOMIZE their resume, based on the job description.”
Did you know that this mistake can cost you your dream job, which is why you’ve been working so hard?
Top 5 Resume Cover Letter Tricks to Help You Land an Interview
1. Great resume calls for a “quintessential” cover letter.
a) Decide what career you want and accordingly create 5 resumes
b) Mention the “Skill Sets” relevant to the Job Description, for which you are applying
2. No 1… No 2, write a 3-paragraph letter
a) Include DATE at the top
b) The header should be spaced
c) No indentation in paragraphs
d) Start with “Dear Madam/Sir”. and find out the NAME of the person you are sending the cover letter to.
In case you can’t find the name, then mention “To Whom It May Concern”.
e) Close your cover letter with
“To be honest,
Jane (FIRST NAME) Doe (LAST NAME)
Xxxxxxx654 (PHONE NUMBER)
[email protected] (PROFESSIONAL EMAIL ADDRESS)
f) DO NOT PUT your physical address
g) Save the document in the 2 formats: .PDF and .DOC (different companies prefer different formats)
3. Introduce yourself in the first paragraph
a) State your name, and make it direct and to the point, otherwise the reader will lose interest.
b) Don’t list your experience, instead frame the award and tell them “you run the best teams and get results”.
c) Do not hold back, try to be expressive and say something better about yourself without losing focus that it is a cover letter, not your profile page on social networks. So let them know “what you’re good at,” but in a professional manner.
4. General rule: the second paragraph must end in 5 sentences
a) Mention your career goals and why you want to work for the company.
b) In your cover letter, there are only 2 things that need adjustment:
c) “Dear Ms/Mr/Dr_________” and the 2nd Paragraph.
Why should you edit your second paragraph every time you apply for a job?
These changes show the recruiter that you did your due diligence and selected them.
5. In the third paragraph, represent yourself and the company as a TEAM
a) Keep the third paragraph generic, so you don’t have to change it every time
b) Focus on how your past and future achievements aligned with company goals.
c) Always use the term “we” in your sentences to give them the feeling that you already feel part of their organization.
Follow these 5 basic guidelines and land easily at the interview desk of the best recruiters.