Take the stress out of writing a cover letter

Scrivere una buona lettera di presentazione al curriculum è importante: ma come farlo al meglio e senza stress? In collaborazione con Kaplan International English, cerchiamo di darvi qualche consiglio. By Martine Weron

Writing a cover letter can seem like a stressful task, but it doesn’t have to be. If you do your background research, plan what you want to write, and check your work, it will be a lot easier and you will obtain better results.

→   Research, research, research: When preparing a job application you must fist do your research. Find news articles, industry magazines, or blogs that discuss current trends in the market place. Consider the whole picture and think about how you could fi in the company.

→   Tailor your letter: Be sure to match your experience and skills to the job description with specific examples of past success. If you can show that you are specifically suited for the job, you will already be in a better position than many other people who are applying.

→   Be active: Use positive action words such as ‘led, created, analysed, interpreted, and completed’ to give an impression of a motivated person who knows the value of presentation.

→   Talk about your skills: Don’t just focus on academic experience, think outside the box and include relevant experiences which have given you valuable transferable skills. Highlight time spent overseas and demonstrate how it helped to prepare you for the role.

→   Personalize it: The cover letter should also be personalized and tailored to the specific role you are applying for. A cover letter with a specific name carries a lot more weight than one addressed to ‘The Hiring Manager’. Use company websites or networking sites such as ‘Linked-In’ to fin the HR or Recruitment Manager’s full names and address the letter appropriately. Be sure to clearly state your reasons for wanting to work for the company.  Be succinct and demonstrate an understanding of the job requirements.

→   Proofread it: Once you have written the CV and cover letter, double check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Ask a trusted friend or university professor to proofread and look for errors. You only have one chance to impress a hiring manager, so get it right and ensure that your application portrays you in the best possible way.

With these tips in mind, writing a cover letter should be a lot easier,  and your results will be much better. Good luck with your job search!

Materiale fornito da Kaplan International English