How to Use a Cover Letter Template Without Making It Obvious
For people who aren’t used to patting themselves on the back, writing a cover letter can seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re applying for multiple jobs on a short notice. But it’s worth it – what starts with a blank word of mouth will be an essential tool with which you can promote your best talent and attract strangers to your paycheck.
If creating a new cover letter for each application is a daunting task, you should consider using a cover letter template, but if you do, you’ll have to be careful about it. Using an obvious template to fill in blank fields won’t earn you any points with hiring managers – you still want your personal taste to show through.
Cover the basics
There is a simple formula for writing a cover letter that says that every letter does not have to be completely original. Fortunately, you can adapt your cover letter to the general flow of paragraphs discussing various aspects of your qualifications.
Here’s what Resume Genius has to offer:
- Introductory paragraph: This is the section that grabs attention. This is what separates letters that are read in their entirety from those that are thrown into a heap of slush. Use this section to describe your experience in vivid terms and point out why it fits well for the job you are applying for. (I always find it good practice to include the title of the position you are applying for, for example, “I think my experience makes me a great candidate for the position [insert title].”)
- Key paragraphs: Describe how your experience will be used in your role in the company. Feel free to elaborate on the information you’ve provided on your resume by explaining in detail how it can be used to be successful in the workplace.
- Call to Action: In the last section, which should also include a commendation, tell the hiring manager your excitement (take the opportunity to revisit your experience one last time) and note that you’re looking forward to talking to them.
Tinker with the same rough outline for different jobs
While the overall impression of your cover letter should be the same for everyone – the focus will always be on getting someone to notice you by singing your own praises – the content of your letter should vary depending on the job you’re trying to accomplish. receive.
So consider jigsawing your cover letter and then cutting / adding what you need to make it more suitable for different concerts, making sure to consider your ability to fulfill as much of the listed job responsibilities as possible by sharing examples from their career history . If you apply for a job in social media marketing one week and then a job in PR the next, you are obviously giving more weight to different skills in your cover letter, depending on the list. But much of the overall content of your experience, your career ambitions, and what you bring in as a generous and hardworking colleague will remain the same.
You can think of your cover letter as your professional story. Thus, writing is like a novel that moves towards a predetermined endpoint from a basic premise – only some chapters change depending on the position you are applying for.
Understand what works everywhere
If you can create great copy that you think will make the HR manager feel weak at the knees, use it in all of your cover letters. Don’t send the same email in all directions. But if you’ve come up with an effective way of phrasing various things – like your professional compliments or the compliments your managers have given you – feel free to use those things in all of your emails. Save a draft of each cover letter you send so you can mine earlier versions for information related to other potential performances.
There is a simple rule of thumb to justify reducing the time it takes to write individual cover letters for each job: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. This is especially true for general information about you as an employee and colleague, which will be relevant no matter what kind of job you aspire to.