5 Tips to Writing an Outstanding Cover Letter

Writing a cover letter is an important part of the job application process. It is your chance to make a good first impression and show potential employers why you are the best candidate for the job. To make sure your cover letter stands out, here are five tips to help you write an outstanding one. First, complement your resume, don't repeat it.

You can research a potential employer by visiting the company's website, talking to current or former employees, and checking out employer review sites such as Glassdoor. This will help you tailor your cover letter to the company and position you are applying for. Second, choose professional

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fonts such as Helvetica or Arial and set the font size between 10.5 and 12 points. Remember, business letters should look conservative in general.

Adjust the margins of your cover letter between 1″ and 1.5″, depending on the length of the letter. Make sure your cover letter looks complete but not full of words. Third, keep it simple and straight to the point. Don't write too much, otherwise your cover letter will seem like an overwhelming wall of text to the hiring manager and won't get the attention it deserves.

Provide bite-sized information, use bullet points, and space content. Don't include imprecise statements or phrases, get straight to the point (while demonstrating your personality) and include only what is relevant to the position and the company you are applying to. Fourth, personalize each

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the position you're applying for. Using cover letter templates or generic cover letters, or worse, cover letters that don't mention anything applicable about the position and the company you're applying to, will only waste the hiring manager's time (and the time it took you to apply for the position).

Personalizing your cover letter is important, as it shows the hiring manager that you've researched the company and the position, and that you really care about what you're asking for. Finally, use concrete numbers when mentioning any previous position or accomplishment in your cover letter. A hiring manager may only scan your resume for a few seconds before deciding to throw it away or save it for further reading later. The numbers will immediately get their attention and show them that you have achieved measurable results in your work history (rather than generic, more vague results).

If you can, use different numbers in your cover letter than those in your resume, as you don't want to simply repeat your resume in your cover letter.Writing a great cover letter takes time and effort but it is worth it if it helps you land an interview with a potential employer. Following these five tips will help ensure that your cover letter stands out from all of the others.