In everyday life we meet dozens of people, and communication notwithstanding of its length and purposes is inevitable. The strategies used for this usual interaction are all well-applicable in the business life while pondering on the contents of the cover letter. How to shape a personal cover letter without boasting too obviously about your accomplishments? Rules of everyday communication answer this question.
Remember what you do when being introduced to someone. Naturally, you try to make a good impression of a well-mannered, intelligent person. The same rule suits the tone of your cover letter story. Your main aim is to show the prospect employer the degree of your communication skills and formal language etiquette. It’s not true that to apply for the post of a construction worker you won’t need to sound businesslike on your resume and cover letter. Candidates with strong writing skills, flawless language and ability to state their thought clearly are more likely to get promotion. So, don’t neglect advice on how to compose a businesslike cover letter. Formal language units, structure and format of the cover letter are rather specific and worth paying attention to. If you are not secure about the level of language, it’s better to have someone check your cover letter for any grammatical, spelling or logical mistakes. Mind that just like a person is judged according to his clothes and language during the first meeting, the cover letter will reveal small secrets to the hiring manager during the skim- reading.
The next stage to know the person better during everyday communication includes finding some common topics to speak about. Weather forecasts as well as fashion trends are surely not likely to interest a potential employer. But try to be in the same tune with his expectations as you compose the resume and cover letter. Highlight the keywords and the requirements stated on the job announcement. Make your cover letter and resume reflect them even by means of including the same phrases on the cover letter. Remember what you usually look for in interlocutors? – Understanding. So make sure the hiring manager knows that you understand his needs and are willing to meet them by your experience and education. Change vague work experience proclamations like: “…20 years of experience in the sales market” into “…. Profound 20-year experience in the sector of retail sales with the biggest international companies like Sony ensured my knowledge in the sphere of foreign trade, launch of new product onto the market….” A small hint is not to spare your time and visit the web site of the potential employer, where you can find more information about company’s policies, its place and rating on the market, and objectives. Be sure to mention your ‘homework preparation’ as any employer will be flattered to know that the achievements of his company were traced and highly appreciated. Naturally, you shouldn’t exaggerate your passion to work for a particular company.
When you have got to know the interlocutor better, it’s time to tell him something about yourself. This is the main goal of a cover letter- to widen the brief information sketches given on the resume. The tricky point at this stage is not to sound extremely self-centered. Nobody likes to speak to the boring egoists preoccupied in their needs and interests. It seems an impossible task to tell about yourself without actually centering on your career desires and accomplishments. But cover letter guides assure that it’s not so impossible as it seems. The first tip is to avoid as many ‘personal’ constructions as you can. Don’t begin all your sentences with phrases like: “I think my experience will benefit your company”. In the latter example the ‘I think\believe\hope’ and suchlike things can be painlessly omitted without ruining the coherence of the cover letter contents.
During a social conversation we sometimes find common acquaintances with the interlocutors and this fact always promotes understanding, makes us feel at ease and be more frank. For a cover letter it’s also good to be backed up by some references. There are two main ways to find appropriate references. The first is to ask your former boss to provide you with a letter of recommendation, though if your resignation was forced due to some misunderstandings with the former employer or the sphere of your ex-work isn’t related to the desired position, this method won’t suit you. The second way to get necessary references is to mention on the cover letter the name of the person in the company who’s recommended to apply for the vacant position. If you don’t have any ‘allies’ within the company, you may try to find common acquaintances through the social networks, which are, by the way, a useful source of information for a job-seeker.
Keep in mind these simple rules of communication, and you are sure to write a professional cover letter.
