Cover letter for job application: Writing A Cover Letter For A Job With No Experience

Thursday 21 March 2013

Writing A Cover Letter For A Job With No Experience

Your cover letter is an employer's first impression of you and your abilities. If you blow off the opportunity the cover letter provides to showcase your skills and experiences, the employer will likely throw your letter and the accompanying resume in the trash. Take the time to write your letter correctly to stand apart from other applicants.

1. Stay Away from Despondence.

Write your letter confidently, and the employer will catch the tone of capability when she reads your letter. Avoid telling the employer that you are desperate for a job. Don't whine or beg. Instead, speak about your skills and experiences that will help you help the employer.

2. It's Not all About You.

Focus on what you can do for the employer. Expound on your skills and talents as they specifically relate to the job and the company or organization to which you are applying. Tell the employer what you can do for him, and limit the number of times you simply state you possess a certain skill. For example, instead of saying, "I can use a word processor," you might state, "My fast typing speed and ability to navigate word processing programs with ease can reduce the amount of time your department spends preparing correspondence to clients."

3. No One to Write To? Think Again.

The salutation line of your letter should not read, "Dear Sir or Madam" or any variant of this opener. Find out who is doing the hiring for the position you want. Look on the organization's website to find the head of the department to which you are applying. Under the "About Us" section, you will likely find a list of current employees. If you can't find the information online or in the job advertisement, call the organization and ask. State which job you're applying to and then ask for the name of the person to whom you should address your cover letter.

4. Don't Forget the Date and Addresses.

In the age of emailed cover letters, job applicants often think that it isn't necessary to write their cover letters in standard business format. After all, what is the use in sending a cover letter via email with the recipient's name, title, address, the date and the applicant's name and address in it? The point is to remain professional in all of your business correspondence, whether it is by email or regular mail. Type the cover letter just as you would if you were sending it in an envelope. Copy and paste the cover letter into the text of the email. Include a PDF version of your cover letter with the emailed version and your attached resume.

5. No "Find and Replace All" Cover Letters

Customize you cover letter for each employer. Don't write "school" or "company" if you're applying to an organization. Each cover letter should speak to the needs of each employer. Highlight your specific skills and accomplishments instead of just sending a form letter.

Your cover letter speaks volumes about your capabilities and initiative. If you take the time to research the company, reference its work and needs in your cover letter and find out the person to whom to send it, you demonstrate from the very beginning that you want the job. The employer will take note of your thoroughness and attention to detail, which are important skills for any job.