The goal of a cover letter is to stand out to employers and secure yourself an interview. That, along with your resume is the first taste of who you are that potential employers see. It’s one of the first chances you have to make an impression that sticks yet so many people struggle to write one that is compelling. A cover letter is meant to entice employers to want to learn more about you and convince them to want to meet with you or read your full resume. 

Any chance you have to allow yourself to stand out is one worth taking-but what should you be writing in your cover letter? 

For starters, you should not just be sending the same cover letter to every job, while you can do this, it does better to write a specific cover letter for the specific job you are shooting for. What is it that you want to be doing? Why do you think you can do it best? Every job and company is different and when you write a cover letter, often times copy and pasting the same one you’ve been using for years isn’t the best way to go about it. 

That being said, here are a couple of things you can include in your Cover Letter to stand out:

Previous Experience:

As with your resume, including aspects of work you’ve done in the past can be useful in appealing yourself to a new position. While a resume is typically done in a list like format, the Cover Letter is your chance to go more in depth about the kind of work you’ve done in the past. While on your resume you may list your previous duties on your cover letter you can go more in depth about what those duties gave to both you and your previous employers. Take what you learned from those positions and explain how those experiences will allow you to do this new job in a way others maybe cant. 

Skillsets Gained:

Your previous experiences likely taught you things in regards to specific skills-talk about them! Explain how what you used to do has made you as a worker even more valuable to potential future employers. Your skills and the specific way you can use them is what employers are looking for. How is it that you can make it clear that what you already know how to do can contribute to what you want to do for this new job. Tailor the skills you talk about having around the job you are applying for. 

Your Strengths as a Worker

Aside from all that you have to offer in regards to your experience and skills, the cover letter is a great place to explain what it is about you that makes you an asset. Are you good with people? Do you love to write? How is it that you view interactions with others? Your unique personality gives you an edge, but only if you know how to communicate it. This is where something like The Quiggle Assessment can help you. Through helping you identify the words to use in describing your strengths the Quiggle Assessment gives you the confidence necessary to portray yourself with eloquence and confidence. What is it about who you are as a person that allows you to excel at what it is you’re trying to do? 

Why You Will Excel

With everything listed above it’s important to state clearly what it is about you that makes you the right fit for this job. What is it about the company that you see in yourself as well? Why does this kind of job excite you and propel you to exceed? From the skills you have acquired through your experience to the specific strengths you possess as an individual, use the last part of your cover letter as a last chance to stand out. Make it clear why you not only want the job, but why they should want you as an employee. 

It’s easy to see a Cover Letter as just another necessary document, but the way you write it allows you to stand out and make yourself known. Don’t let yourself be another resume in a stack, let them know the kind of person you are. Let yourself be seen and don’t be afraid to let it be known why you want this job and how you are the best candidate for it. 

When an employer can see you as a real person they are less likely to brush you off as just another paper in a stack. 

Want to know how to articulate who you are, your strengths, and a power pitch? The Quiggle Assessment was created for just that. Take it today to learn how to market yourself with authenticity and confidence.

Lead Well,