EN - What is the cover letter?

Writing a cover letter is a lot easier than you might think.

And that's why I'm preparing this article, just for you.

A cover letter is a one-page document that you submit as part of your job application (along with your CV or resume). 

Its purpose is to introduce you and briefly summarize your professional background, on average, your cover letter should be 250 to 400 words long .

A good cover letter can pique the HR manager's interest and lead them to read your resume. 

A bad cover letter , on the other hand, could mean that your question is going straight to the trash. So, to make sure this doesn't happen, knowing how to write a compelling cover letter is essential.

Keep in mind, however, that a cover letter is a supplement to your resume, not a replacement. It means you don't just repeat what's mentioned on your resume .

If you're writing a cover letter for the first time, writing all of this might seem quite difficult. After all, you are probably not a professional writer.

The fact is, however, that you don't need to be creative or even good at writing. All you have to do is follow a proven format by answering the questions:

• Header: Enter your contact information

• Say hello to the hiring manager Who are you writing to? Which company? For what position? Where did you find the ad?

• Opening paragraph: grab the reader's attention with 2-3 of your best results What position do you fill (or did fill) - Which skills do you have that can be useful for this position? 2/3 of job successes (best employee of the month, best departmental KPIs, X% sales increase, etc.)

• Second paragraph - Explain why you are the perfect candidate for the job Why are you applying? And why choose you over someone else?

• Formal closure

A good cover letter means leaving the right first impression.

So what's a better way to leave a good impression than with a well-formatted visual model?

First impressions matter, especially when it comes to your job search.

Recruiters get hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of applications. Chances are they won't read every single cover letter from start to finish.

Hence, it is essential to get their attention from the first paragraph.

Problem No. The 1 we see with most of the paragraphs opening cover letters is that they are usually extremely generic

Like:

Hey, my name is XXX and I would like to work as a Sales Manager at XYZ Inc. I have been working as a Sales Manager at COMPAGNIAX Inc. for 5+ years so I believe I would be a good candidate for the position.

Do you see the problem here? This opening paragraph says practically nothing except that you have worked on it before.

Do you know who else has similar work experience? All other candidates you compete with.

Instead, you want to start with 2-3 of your best results to really grab the reader's attention. Preferably, the results should be as relevant to the position as possible.

Let me know your opinion, drop a comment or contact me here, or on Twitter, or on Insta, or a simple email, in short, where you prefer, but feel free to share your thoughts or ask some questions!

- ML