3 Steps to Writing a Great Cover Letter - Walrath Recruiting, Inc.

3 Steps to Writing a Great Cover Letter - Walrath Recruiting, Inc. It can be challenging to sit down in front of a blank page and fill it with words. This is especially true when you know it could be what helps you find your next job. All that pressure can make it tough to get your words on paper. Today, well present a simple 3 step template that you can use to design your own killer cover letter and hopefully find a  great job. Read on below for the first step! What Inspires You The best place to begin is by telling the story that lead you to writing this letter. Think about what inspired you to send in your application for this position specifically. Was it the enticing culture that was promoted on the job posting? Or perhaps the job is exactly the type of work you are looking to get into? Whatever the reason, give a brief description of why youre interested in the position. This will help them understand why youre applying, as well as illustrate your genuine interest in the position. Of course, you dont want to make the cover letter all about you, which brings us to the next step. What You Mean to Them One of the most common problems with cover letters is that candidates make them all about themselves. You are already including a resume that is 100% about you, so why do the same with the cover letter? Instead  of covering things already in your resume, look at yourself as a candidate from the companys perspective. A great way to do this is read over the job description, and attempt to picture the need the company has at their organization. Next, think about how you will meet those needs. The body of your cover letter should discuss your skills and talents as well the purpose they would serve if you were hired. This is the time to bring up your accomplishments, but through the lens of the job description. Whenever you are discussing yourself in this section of the cover letter, you should also be describing how  you could assist the company. Getting yourself in the mindset of the hiring manager will help you build a cover letter that showcases your qualifications in the right way. Once you feel as if youve made your case as a strong candidate, its time to move on to the final step. How They Can Contact You In the conclusion of the letter, quickly reiterate previous statements before closing. Express your interest in the job, thank them for considering you, and then urge them to reach out to you. Since you should have placed your contact info at the top of the page, you can encourage them to reach out if they believe you would be a good fit. Make sure youre not too pushy, but also not too relaxed. You want your interest to come across to the hiring manager, but you dont want to scare them away. Find a good balance between the two. Make a strong last impression before you describe the best way for them to reach you. Thats it! You now have a basic cover letter build that you can use to write a great one!  Consider writing your cover letter from scratch with a this layout, and further developing it from there. Not using a template will result in a noticeably stronger and more genuine cover letter. Let us know how the writing goes!