As an engineering (or other) candidate, one of the most powerful tools in your job search kit is your professional cover letter. Yet, so many job seekers do their cover letter wrong by drafting a letter that sounds more like a form chain letter than an actual letter of interest. This is a big No-No and it will actually hurt your chances of getting called for an interview, so don’t waste your time and the hiring manager’s time.
Your best course of action is to write unique cover letters that are classy, not trashy. Here is a guide to help you get started.
Use a professional cover letter template in a font that matches your resume font style. Open up with a professional greeting, and name the HR manager or recruiter by first and last name. For example, you will want to state “Dear Ms. Janie Smith;” or “Hello Mr. Johnson;”. Be cordial and demonstrate respect in your writing style to establish that you are truly a professional.
Start your cover letter out with a brief introduction of who you are and what your major skills are. Limit this to 2-3 sentences, highlighting what you bring to the table. This will help grab the reader’s attention and let them know in a few seconds who you are and what you are about as an engineer.
For the body of your cover letter, keep it short and to the point in your sentence structures. Talk about your background and what it has to do with the job you are applying for. Make sure to bring to light your unique characteristics and achievements. Again, be sure to tie these aspects into the job as you want to paint yourself as the perfect candidate.
Wrap your cover letter up by stating thank you to the hiring manager for taking the time to learn more about you as an engineering candidate. Your last sentence should state that you look forward to hearing back from the hiring manager and providing the best phone number where you can be reached.
Once you have your cover letter completed, make sure to have someone proofread it for you to check for grammatical or spelling errors. Ask this person to give you his impression and do some editing to make your letter better before sending it out. When you do send it out, either by email or hard copy, be sure to check the format to make sure it looks correct.
For more career tips and support with your job search, rely on the experts at Davis Staffing.
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