Hello there,

As much as we do not pay as much attention to our cover letter writing, we need to know that employers do. Therefore, considering the fact that they have a ton of cover letters to go through in a short amount of time; you need to present appropriate openings and closings on your cover letter. This would present you as professional and polished.

This post addresses how to ensure that your cover letter is concise, error-free and unique.

How to Start:

#1 - Do not neglect the formal greeting methodology simply because you a sending a mail and not an actual letter. Write formal greetings such as Dear Ms. Braithwaite or Dear Mr. Afope. If you are not sure of the gender of the individual you are addressing and you cannot find out, write out their full names. For Example; Dear Grace Taylor.

#2 - When applying for a job, you should start off formally even though over time while building formal correspondence between you and the company, you might adopt a less formal tone. Therefore, do not neglect the ‘Dear’ in your salutation because no matter how old fashioned it might seem to you, it is formal and acceptable.

#3 - If you are unfamiliar with an individual’s name arrangement, address the individual with both names. This is usually more confusing when the individual you are addressing has two names that could pass as his/her first name. For Example, If you are addressing a Mrs. Funke Tolu, You do not want to address the cover letter to Mrs. Funke, to end up finding out that her last name is Tolu. So therefore play it safe and present both names when you are not sure.

#5 - Ensure you spell the individual’s name correctly. If you do not, the recipient would definitely spot this and might further take offence that you did not take time out to confirm his/her name.

 #6 - If you cannot get a specific name after doing your research, you could present a generic salutation such as ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or ‘Dear Human Resource Personnel’. Do not use ‘To whom it may concern’ while writing an official letter. This is an extreme case of a generic salutation, and this would make your letter and application seem highly impersonal.

#7 - Also, ensure you use the initial capitals for the first letter of every noun, and after your greeting, put the appropriate punctuation. Use either a colon, or a comma. For Example: (Dear Mrs. Tolu,) or (Dear Recruiting Manager:)

How to End:

#1 - In your concluding paragraph, ensure you thank the individual for taking time to review your cover letter. Also you could inform the individual that you are looking forward to their anticipated co-operation. While passing across the above highlighted messages, ensure your writing tone remains formal but also pass your points across in concise yet meaningful statements.

#2 - Make the closing message as formal and as concise as possible. Use closing remarks such as Sincerely, Regards or Best Regards. If your closing consists of more than one word, capitalize only the first word. For Example: Best regards or Sincerely yours. Ensure you also put a comma after your closing salutation. Most people omit the comma after the salutation.

#3 - Print your full name on the next line. There is no need for that extra space that is usually left out for signatures. Also, write your phone number and email address on separate lines after your name. Although this information is readily available on your resumé, the recipient would have an easier, stress free way to contact you.

Closing Sample: Yours sincerely,

                                 Anna Wintor

                                 0978653421,

                                 [email protected]

These tips result in effective cover letter writing. It gives the recipient a pre-conceived notion that you pay attention to detail, and you also aid them by making your information available without them having to read through a cumbersome cover letter.

Apply these tips and build yourself that 5 star cover letter you deserve.

Have a lovely day.

Regards,

PushCV Content Team.