Writing A Perfect Cover Letter

A cover letter is a document sent with your resume / CV to provide additional information on your skills and experience.

A cover letter typically provides detailed information on why you are qualified for the job you are applying for. Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences. Copied from: www.hotnigerianjobs.com

A cover letter is comprised of several parts:

• contact information
• a salutation,
• the body of the cover letter,
• and an appropriate closing.

1.) Contact Information

As with any professional letter, make sure to date it, include the name, title, company name, street address, city, state, and zip code of the recipient (Employer). Make sure that the recipient's information is in the top left corner of the cover letter. Don’t forget to include your own contact information either in the header, in the footer, or in the right top corner  of the letter. If you put both addresses on the same side, make sure yours comes first. Copied from: www.hotnigerianjobs.com

Note: If you are sending Cover Letter / Application Letter via email,  omit the Contact Information and start from the Salutation. The Contact Information is supposed to be the Employer's Email address and the  Subject Line which is one of the most important parts of the email should never be left blank. Use:

Subject Line Example:

• Application for [Job Title]
• [Job Title] - [Your Name]

However, when you're sending an email cover letter, it's important to follow the employer's instructions on how to submit your cover letter and CV.


2.) Salutation

It's important to include an appropriate salutation at the beginning of the cover letter or message. If you have a contact person for your letter, be sure to include their name in your letter.

Cover Letter Salutation Examples:

• Dear Mr. [LastName]
• Dear Mrs. Okeke

If you don't have a contact person at the company, it's better to use a general salutation.

General Salutations for Cover Letters examples:

• Dear Human Resources Manager
• Dear Hiring Manager
• Dear HR Manager
• Dear Sir or Madam

3.) Body of the Cover Letter (Application Letter)

If you are applying for an advertised position start out with an introduction by mentioning where the job was listed and make sure to include the job title. This information will be helpful to the person reading the letter if they have more than one job opening. They are also more likely to make a note of how you found out about the job opening:

For example:
I am writing in response to your advertisement in [location of advertisement] for a [job title]. After reading your job description, I am confident that my skills and my passion for technology are a perfect match for this position.

Next, emphasize your background, your skills and any strengths that would be of interest:

As you'll see on my enclosed resume, I have the educational background, professional experience, and track record for which you are searching. In addition, I am motivated and enthusiastic, and would appreciate the opportunity to contribute to your firm’s success.

To finish the cover letter it may be a good idea to indicate that you would be available to provide more information about yourself.

If I can provide you with any further information on my background, qualifications, and skills, please let me know. I can be reached anytime via email or [cell phone]

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

4.)  Closing

The following is a list of letter closing examples that are appropriate for cover letters and employment related correspondence.

Cover Letter Closing Examples:

• Sincerely
• Sincerely yours
• Most sincerely
• Respectfully
• Respectfully yours
• Regards
• Best regards
• Kind regards
• Yours truly
• Thank you

Follow the closing with a comma
For example:

Best regards,

Your Name
Your Phone Number
Hotnigerianjobs Profile Link (Coming soon)
Your LinkedIn Profile URL (If any)

Finally, keep in mind the three most important rules for any cover letter:

• Personalize it to the person reading it and their company
• Keep it short (no more than 3-4 paragraphs or 200-300 words)
• Proofread it, proofread it again to ensure there are no mispelling or grammatical error. Employers are most likely to throw your resume and cover letter away if it contains wrong spellings or grammatical errors. Copied from: www.hotnigerianjobs.com

Take the time to review cover letter examples, then make sure that your letter explains how your skills relate to the criteria listed in the job posting.