Since the Internet became a publicly available means of communication, almost 100% of job seekers began to look for work through the resources of the global network. Specialized sites offer many different tools to optimize the process of finding vacancies and interacting with a potential employer. You can not only create a resume on the website in the prescribed form, but also personally "communicate" with a representative of the employer company through a cover letter. Here, applicants make mistakes. You need to understand that the cover letter to the resume to the company is not a personal chat with a friend, when compiling it, you must adhere to a number of rules. This article explains in detail the main points that you need to focus on when writing a message, as well as a template for a cover letter to a resume.
Why write a cover letter
This question arises for most of the applicants, and most of them find no reason to write a letter and send simply a resume. Indeed, in the resume, the basic information is already indicated, and your personal qualities should not worry the leader.
Yet recruitment experts, according to research, almost always see in the fact of the letter an additional advantage of the candidate.
The presence of a cover letter indicates that:
- the candidate is not afraid to enter into communication and feels comfortable in a business environment;
- personalizes the company and specifically the HR department, that is, he understands the importance of establishing personal contacts in business;
- the candidate has additional strengths that he can talk about.
Of course, there are different samples of cover letters for resumes, some of which even repel the employer. Below we describe the basic rules for writing a business letter.
Message Length
A letter differs from a resume in that it shows the real manner of communication of a particular candidate for a vacancy, demonstrates his ability to correctly convey information and to identify the main thing.
And the main thing for the cover letter is your skills (usually 3-4 points) and the facts from personal professional experience that demonstrate them. This information fits into several sentences. Therefore, starting to print a message to the employer, remember Chekhov's aphorism that brevity is the sister of talent, and stick to it.
Samples of cover letters for a half-page resume, while fully informative, are found. But most often it concerns top managers and directors, whose complex activities can be difficult to describe in a brief summary. A mid-level specialist has nothing to fill out a voluminous letter if he is not going to "pour water" in it.
What to specify
How to write a cover letter to the resume? Before you begin to think through the text of the cover letter to the resume, let's introduce ourselves to the employer. He needs an employee in order to increase the income of the company or to cope with the specific goal of the company. Therefore, in each response, the employer is looking for answers to questions about what qualities of this person can bring additional profit, due to which skills he can cope with the tasks. And also each company is interested in finding loyal employees, that is, those who want to work here and will not leave in a year.
Therefore, sample cover letters for the resume should reflect:
- Your motivation. Explain why you want to work in this area and in this company. To do this, you must at least visit the website of the employing company.
- Your additional skills and benefits beyond those listed in the resume. The main thing is that they somehow relate to a specific position. For example, a merchandiser in a store does not need to write about programming skills mastered in grade 9. Look at what other companies require for a similar position of your choice, and try to find them in yourself.
- Proof of skills. Facts from your career, your real achievements. Example: “Interacted with company executives and VIP clients.” Such a phrase will confirm your communication and communication skills with people of different levels.
- Information about additional education / internships. Now the desire for self-education is very much appreciated. In large cities, they conduct various trainings and seminars for specialists of various profiles. Students are offered internship opportunities in large companies, various federal educational and social projects are being implemented in which you can show your leadership qualities.
The writing style is also important in the letter , the text of the cover letter to the resume should be written in compliance with the rules of the Russian language and business etiquette. If there is no greeting in the letter, they can immediately reject it.
Why not write
Now let's talk about mistakes.
Often, samples of cover letters to a resume spoil the impression of a resume, because:
- Abound in superfluous facts. These include facts from one's own biography that are of no interest to anyone: a description of all work experience, starting from school, a list of achievements and diplomas that are not related to professional qualities.
- The candidate praises himself too much without evidence. As a rule, a successful specialist can remember his real achievements. If in the last place you did not make any high-profile achievements, it is better to simply omit this moment.
- The letter does not follow the business style. It should be understood that the cover letter is a formalized document, excess creativity is not appropriate here.
- The letter is too template. Copied letters do not make sense at all. They do not read a specific person, they do not say anything about you as a specialist.
Features of the letter depending on the position
The personnel policies of different companies may differ from each other. Some recruiters do not pay attention to cover letters, while others have certain requirements for them. Obviously, the cover letter to the resume of the lawyer and consultant to the clothing store will be very different. It is worth noting that in the selection of mass personnel (employees of shops, call centers and restaurants), recruiters may not pay attention to the letter. At the same time, a letter to a candidate for a leading position is mandatory. For a top manager, writing a cover letter with explanations of previous experience and plans for a future career is mandatory.
If there is no work experience
Each specialist begins with something. As a rule, employers who are ready to accept students with no experience openly write about it. A young specialist needs to look for just such suggestions.
A cover letter to a resume without work experience is even more necessary than in the case of an experienced worker. Indeed, a letter for a beginner career is the only way to talk about their advantages over competitors.
Rules for writing a cover letter to a resume without experience:
- Write about your desire and ability to learn new things.
- Express your desire to work and study in this company.
- Tell us about your participation in various educational projects, possibly trainings, about participation in public organizations, student communities, etc. At such sites you can learn modern working methods and get at least the initial skills of business interaction.
- Do not write about the desire to earn a lot and high career expectations. You can be very capable by nature and even anticipate your success, but so far there is no evidence for this, your statements about your own talents will not inspire confidence.
- The main thing in finding a job for graduates is to really assess yourself as a candidate and not apply for highly paid positions.
Why take an example
A cover letter should reflect your personality - this is almost its only purpose. Therefore, copying or writing off a letter is pointless. There is no single standard for cover letters, if only because a living person will read it with a subjective look. The characteristic that will hook one manager will not please another at all. Therefore, it is impossible to come up with a universal letter, it is better to write in each company a separate essay, tailored to their request.
Samples of cover letters for the resume should be read (examples are below), but try to create a unique option that will distinguish you from the rest of the applicants.
Is creative appropriate
Most companies seek in their employees diligence, a high level of competence, the ability to conduct business correspondence, etc. These skills can be demonstrated in a letter.
But there are a number of professions where creativity, a sense of humor and an extraordinary approach are not only appropriate, but also mandatory. The style of communication with the employer directly depends on the policy of the company itself and the characteristics of the position for which you are applying.
Change of field of activity
Naturally, most employers seek to find someone with experience who does not have to be trained for a long time. But many of us receive education at the direction of our parents, and not at our own request, which further turns into a desire to change the specialty indicated in the diploma.
The desire to change the field of activity will immediately alert the selection manager, and during the interview you will have to convincingly argue this desire. Better yet, do it right away - in a cover letter.
Directly state in which area you now want to realize yourself and why, what attracts you. Which of the necessary skills and knowledge do you already have? It is worth noting that before trying to get into a successful company a new profile for you, it would be nice to develop new competencies (at least in theory) for several months. This must also be indicated.
Example
Let us give an example of a cover letter, which will facilitate further employment.
Pros:
- the letter is written politely and concisely, it is impossible to find fault with the style;
- the applicant praised the employer company, expressed his loyalty;
- the corresponding specialty education is named as an advantage;
- expressed hope for future cooperation;
- brevity.
Minuses:
- words about work experience, the applicant did not mention what successes in the last place he managed to achieve.