Fresh impressions are very much important when applying for a job. They what will give you an edge over other competitors. When your resume cover letter leaves a bad taste, employers will more likely simply move on to the next applicant. So it is really imperative that you win them fast and with just a short glance at your cover letter.

What are the best tips on how to write a cover letter? For one, a cover letter should be short and to the point. No one wants to read long-winded narration of one’s qualifications especially at work. The work place is a busy place and you need to be considerate enough not to take too much time of the employer.

And it goes without saying that a short letter is also a simple letter. Do not burden the reader with unnecessary jargons, high-flown words, and too-personal stuff. Keep the focus on your qualifications and why you think you’re qualified for that position more than anybody else. If you take time reading some samples of good cover letter off the internet, you will notice that they all share one thing in common: they are all brief, not more than page, and they don’t have room for superfluous narratives.

Another characteristic of cover letter samples is that they’re addressed to a specific person. When seeking for a job, you need to do a fair amount of research about that job that you’re applying for. This includes the company and the people working there. Mentioning the name of the right person in your cover letter will give him the idea that you’ve actually done your research and that you don’t merely the company as just “one among the others”.

Also, you should let your personality shine through, while staying professional and well-composed. No one wants to hire a robot who’s only in it for money. Your words should show your enthusiasm and how eager you are to land that job. Some say it’s not easy to combine both professionalism and enthusiasm all in one sentence. But that is not true. If anything, they make a great mix because a true professional is someone who has true passion about his job. Say something along the lines of “I am excited about the opportunity of joining XYZ Company. I believe that my skills and positive outlook in life would make a great asset to it.”

There is no better to exercise professionalism than avoiding fatal errors such as misspelling, typos, and obvious grammatical mistakes. Not only do they create poor impression about you, they also completely turn off the one reading it. A resume cover letter full of mistakes means that you’re careless and that you simply don’t care.

Lastly, always make it a point to sell yourself from start to finish. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to highlight your qualifications and make them seem as if they’re too valuable to be taken for granted. Make sure every line, every phrase speaks about how awesome you can be when finally clinch that job.

Image taken on 2007-06-11 13:54:26. Image Source. (Used with permission)