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how to create a good cover letter and some sample cover letters too

#college-applications #university-applications

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Viswa’s Answer

Great question.

A cover letter or covering letter is a normally a preface to your resume / CV. Consider this as a virtual representation of yourself. Just because you cannot present yourself everywhere your resume/CV travels, you are sending a covering letter.

A covering letter should always be created a for a purpose. For eg, if you are applying for an internship at a company and you are applying for a position for research under a university, you shouldn't be creating one template for the covering letter. Instead you should write a covering letter for each scenario and then link / include / attach your resume / CV

What a covering letter should contain :

1) First & foremost, a covering letter is also a letter. Hence the format follows a normal letter i.e Date, Location, From, To, Subject & lastly your signature.
2) The covering letter should start with brief introduction of yourself, followed by a quick statement of why are you writing this letter. This include reasons like applying for a job, a position in research team etc
3) Very briefly touch upon the relevant skills / experience that directly apply to the position of interest and a justification on why do you think you would be right person the role. You can also highlight / refer back some sections in actual resume to complement your statement. However beware that a covering letter shouldn't be a duplicate of a resume/CV. Instead it should capture nuances that aren't captured in the resume.
4) Next, you could include references / recommendations / testimonies that you want to include in the covering letter if applicable.
5) Finally you should thank for the opportunity to apply and present your candidature.

Wrapping tips:

One of the important tip that I always give to my mentees is, make the covering letter personal. Address the recipient by name if possible and touch upon the human side as much as possible. This include wishing them luck, happy new year etc as & when applicable.

Well that's my answer to how to write covering letter. Hope this help you a bit on your aspirational jorney.
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Dexter’s Answer

Hi Shilpa,

I don't (as a hiring manger) look at cover letters, but if you really did want to spend time on them, here's what I would recommend. I would tell a story about a previous accomplishment of yours that would make you perfect for the job you're applying for.

In this story, it'd be great to show your quirks and personality that make you singularly interesting and one that makes you the hero of the story. To put it another way, use the hero's journey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey) to get the manager to care about you and your growth as a person.

I wish you the best!

--
Dexter
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Alyssa’s Answer

Hey there, Shilpa!

Great question. Cover letters should give a better look in to your heart, and in to who you are and what the job/ company/ school personally means to you. Resumes, on the other hand, are an impersonal yet accurate depiction of your work experience. A cover letter is your opportunity to show what makes you unique as an individual. Personality could play a HUGE role in what ultimately gets somebody hired. Your first paragraph could be an introduction to how you found this opportunity and why you are interested in it. The second paragraph will be why YOU are the best candidate. The third and final paragraph could/ should honor the company in a way. Say why they are special to you! Hit them with the emotional connection. :)

Hope this is helpful! Good luck!
-Alyssa Lazar
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Simeon’s Answer

Usually, your cover letter is supposed to be brief and mostly explain your interest in the college/company. Try to keep your cover letter to five sentences or less. Also, try not to be super dramatic about how much you'd love to be accepted and how it'll fulfill your wildest ambitions. Instead, keep it pretty contained and professional. The cover letter is more of a warm-up/opener to the resume and isn't supposed to be the focal point of your application.
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Praful’s Answer

I would say
- Always tailor your Cover letter to a specific job description
- Keep it short, it should be easily readable at a glance
- Share an accomplishment which can address the challenges
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