The cover letter is a relatively recent notion; in fact, according to the available data, the first time a cover letter was required in a job application was in the year 1956.

Despite the fact that this technique was not widely used in earlier decades, cover letters have become more and more popular among hiring managers. In today's world, it is common practice for recruiters to request applicants to provide a cover letter with their resumes.

The reason why hiring managers want you to submit a cover letter is that they are interested in learning more about your character and experience, as well as your thoughts on the position, and a cover letter is an ideal way to achieve this without wasting time by inviting everyone in for an interview.

This requirement may be expressed in a variety of ways, such as a motivational or application letter. However, one thing is certain: writing a good cover letter is essential if you want to maximize your chances of getting hired. 

See how you should organize it:

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Outline

Heading

The heading should include the job title, your name, the date, and contact information. The way in which the letter is formatted is determined by the preferences of the sender; for example, some people like to put all of the information in a vertical format, while others prefer to separate the information between the two sides of the letter.

What is important is that you check your contact information in case of mistakes to avoid missing a potential interview invitation. Moreover, it is essential to check if you provided the correct information about the company since inaccuracies will be deemed highly professional.

Introduction

Your greetings and a brief description of who you are should be included in the introductory section.

To begin, provide a respectful welcome while using the appropriate titles. It would be preferable to identify the person who would be in charge of the recruiting process, but if that cannot be accomplished, a straightforward "To whom it may concern" should do the job.

Take particular precautions to avoid misspelling names, since such errors might cause you to lose the opportunity even if you're the most qualified applicant.

After your greetings, you need to introduce yourself and explain why you're sending this letter. Include your name, the title of the job you are currently holding, and the name of the post you are applying for.

Body

The usual length of the body section is between two and three paragraphs. It should describe the reason why you believe you are the appropriate candidate for the job, your skills, and experience, as well as any professional or personal quality that makes you stand out from the other applicants.

Make sure you accurately divide the information into paragraphs; each paragraph should focus on developing a central idea or information. The first paragraph of your cover letter should normally explain why you want to work for this particular organization and why you believe you are the ideal candidate.

The second section needs to speak about your skills and qualifications, or your professional side in a way. The final section should discuss your personal aspect.

Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph should be short. Include some major accomplishments related to the position and how you will contribute to the organization in two to three lines.

At the end of the letter express your anticipation to hear from the company on the following stages. Sign off with your name at the bottom of the page.

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Mistakes to avoid

Grammar and Spelling

Grammar mistakes are the most obvious sign of a lack of professionalism. Grammar and spelling errors reveal a lack of commitment and interest in the role and an inability to pay attention to details.

Make sure to double-check your cover letter and resume before you send them out to employers. Asking others to help you or using grammar-checking applications may also improve your results.

Putting incorrect information about the company

It's a well-known fact that people feel offended toward others mispronouncing their name. Consider what the recruiter would think if he saw his name spelled incorrectly in your application.

Before sending anything out, make sure everything is correct by doing research on the company's website and social media platforms to obtain the most up-to-date information and checking it twice and even three times if possible.

Making it too long

Another game-breaker is when your letter is excessively lengthy. It is important to keep in mind that your letter shouldn't be longer than one page if you don't want it to be thrown away in the garbage.

Sending the same cover letter

Last but not least, one of the most common errors that job seekers do is submitting the same cover letter to many different companies. It is not possible to write a cover letter that is suitable for all the different sorts of businesses.

Your letter needs to be customized so that it reflects the specific set of values and goals of the organization you are writing to, and it should be as unique as possible.

The objective of the cover letter is to demonstrate to the potential employer that you are the ideal candidate for the job and that your personal qualities are compatible with those of the company. Sending the same cover letter produces the opposite result.