How to write a winning cover letter?

If you think that you do not have enough experience to get a dream job offer, you can enhance your CV with a cover letter. It will help you not only show your desire to work for a company, but also tell more about yourself.

To turn a cover letter into a direct ticket to an interview, you should include experience that best fits the job; demonstrate your understanding of the company's goals and culture, and insert a bit of your personality. The cover letter should not exceed 200-300 words.

What to include in a cover letter? Below are the six main parts of the letter:

1. Contact details at the top of a letter (full name, phone number, mail address). Usually, candidates put this information only on their CVs. Please do not make the same mistake – be sure to include your contact details in the cover letter as well.
2. Salutation. Try to address your cover letter by replacing the traditional “To whom it may concern” with the name of a manager who will be reading your CV. Do some online searching, look through the company's website or LinkedIn pages, or find out this information from a recruiter (you may need to explain why you need the name of a hiring manager). This will certainly make a positive impression.
3. Introduction section. Here you need to introduce yourself, explain how you found out about the job offering, and why you are interested in it. The first sentence of a cover letter is like a firm handshake – a formality, but still an essential part. Then write about your experience, education, knowledge, and skills. Try to grab the recruiter's attention by inserting a bit of personality in your cover letter but be careful with humor :)
4. Body section. Here you need to explain why your background fits the position, and how your hard and soft skills could help the company in achieving its goals. Be sure to use in this section the job requirements as specified in the job posting.
5. Call-to-action. In this section, you need to state your ability to continue the selection process. Thank a hiring manager/company for the time spent on reading your cover letter and for the opportunity to meet in person.
6. Closing. Make sure to close your letter in a professional manner using such phrases, as “Sincerely,” “Regards,” or “Best Regards,” + your name.

Read your cover letter once again and make sure that its content corresponds to information stated in CV. It would also be great to use the same format for both your CV and a cover letter.

And, voilà! You hold a ticket to the company of your dreams :)