4 Unbelievably Easy Steps To Writing A Cover Letter That Makes You Stand Out

A cover letter is your first chance to impress an employer and as such you need to ensure it is well written. It’s your chance to show the recruiter what makes you great and a fit for the job you are applying for.
But how do you go about writing a letter that makes you stand out from other job seekers and will convince the employer to pick you?

Here Are The Four Steps To Writing A Cover Letter That Makes You Stand Out

1. Do your research on the company and job you’ll be applying for
Before you start writing your cover letter it is very important that you research the company you plan on sending it to. There is nothing that impresses a recruiter more than someone who is enthusiastic about working for them. You need to use your cover letter to show them that there is no other company you would rather work for.
This can only be done if you have enough information on the company. Such information includes who the owner is, where the business sits in the market, the company’s competitors and other basic information.
You also need to research the job you’re applying for. When you’re writing a cover letter, you need to write one that makes you stand out and to do this, you have to know exactly what the company is looking for.
The more information you have the easier it becomes for you to tailor your application letter to suit the job you are applying for.
CHECK OUT >>> Sample Cover Letter for Unadvertised Job
2. Find out who will be reading your cover letter
Another very important thing you need to look into before you write your cover letter is who will receive the letter. This is important because it lets you know who to address your letter to.
It is no longer advisable to use dear sir/madam when addressing the recipient of the letter. It is important to use the person’s name as opposed to writing Dear Sir/Madam or to whom it may concern. This will make the hiring manager know that you spent the time to research on the organisation.
It is equally important that you do not misspell the name of the person you are addressing the Cover Letter to. You also need to ensure that you use the right title. You do not want to call someone MS when she is a Mrs. If you are not sure about the correct title it is better to avoid using it all together.
3. Get your words down on paper
As Margaret Komora, a professional CV writer at Corporate Staffing Services says, “To create a great cover letter you have to understand the job description and the skills set you possess and think of ways to make the employer see our potential.”
Remember that what you put in here might determine whether or not the recruiter looks at your CV. You should therefore, aim to show that you are indeed the best candidate and you poses exactly what the company is looking for.
4. Check and double-check everything to make sure it’s error free
There is nothing as annoying as reading something full of grammatical errors and poor formatting. The same applies to your cover letter. A recruiter will throw your application out if it is full of grammatical errors and is poorly formatted.
Because we are human we are bound to make mistakes when drafting cover letters. This means that you should ensure you go through your application letter before sending it. If possible you can have someone else go through it for you just to check if there are other mistakes you missed.
Ensure you check to ensure you got the name and spelling of the company and recruitment manager right. You don’t want to send in an application where you have misspelled the organisation’s name.
You also need to check on your formatting to ensure it doesn’t look bad. You don’t want to have a letter which has a mixture of fonts and colors.
In Conclusion
Accuracy is very important when you’re writing a cover letter. If you happen to get something wrong then you will stand out for the wrong reasons and this will not help your chances of getting the job.
If you have any questions on CV or cover letter writing don’t hesitate to get in touch with cv@corporatestaffing.co.ke
By Michelle Wanjiku
Michelle is a Communication Officer/ Digital Marketer at Career Point Kenya