Top Tips For Writing Great Cover Letters
Whether you look for a job, business loan, or if you just want to get your novel published, the same rules and standards apply to all cover letter writings. So if you really want to figure out how to write one that will really impress them, here are four things to keep in mind…
Read a Few
Read some successful cover letters thoroughly. The best way to get good at anything is to look at how the professional do it and copy them, if not word for word, at least in spirit. Now, when you look at these letters, you’ll notice some things. First of all, they’re coherent and well written with a definite beginning, middle and end. Secondly, they don’t have any major typos or grammatical errors. They’re friendly, but formal, so they’re not rude or dismissive, but they are written with a business like attitude. The “Hard Sell” is for advertising, not for a cover letter. So be professional, polite, and write well.
Stop Rewriting!
No truly great letter ever went through more than three drafts. You got your first draft, that’s the one that you write as fast as possible just to get something on paper to work with. Then you got your second draft, that’s the one you take your time on. The main point of the second draft is to REMOVE useless info, not to add useless info. There will be a little bit of adding, but you really want to focus on making it more short and to the point… Professional and polite, but to the point. The third rewrite is just to fix the language, remove typos, and generally just give it a really good polish.
Do Not Make Stuff Up!
You won’t get away with making stuff up. You need to be completely honest. Oh sure, you can paint yourself in just the right light. Like maybe you didn’t have bad grades in school so much as you “showed promise” and “really put forth the effort”… Or, perhaps “formal schooling just couldn’t hold a candle to self education”. But, if you were a straight D student, you weren’t a straight A student, and that’s just fact. So be honest, and don’t put anything in there that they can call you on, or you risk calling the validity of the whole letter into question.
Hire a Professional
If you just can’t put together a great cover letter, there are professionals who can. More than a few people have gotten into the job of their choice thanks entirely to talented ghost writers. Find a skilled writer, work out a good rate and make sure they have all the info they need to write a great letter, and you’ll be set. Make sure to work with them closely to guide them through the process. You want them to get it right on the first try and that’s only proper with your guidance. You don’t want to pay for rewrites because you didn’t give them the attention they needed do do it right.
