7 Key Elements of an Outstanding Cover Letter

Our mini course begins with the key elements of an outstanding cover letter. 

Let me be blunt up front. If you want to copy resume cover letter examples, my blog is not a place for you.  I’m here to help you write an attention grabber resume cover letter in your own words, so that you’ll present yourself to the employer as a unique individual who is the right fit for the job you apply.  If you use fill-in-the-blank cover letter samples, you are just anybody in the crowd receiving a standard reply for ‘no, thank you’.

If you want to motivate the hiring manager to give you a call, here are the 7 key elements of an outstanding cover letter:

1. Address to a real person
2. Attention grabbing headline
3. Show enthusiasm and passion in a conversational manner
4. Short and sweet – keep it to one page / 20 seconds
5. Focus on the particular employer’s needs and explain specifically why you are the right person
6. Ask for an interview
7. A powerful wrap-up sentence at the PS location

** If you are proactively approaching an employer, your cover letter should include these two elements in it:

• The position or area you are interested in
• How you can contribute to the company or position (not what the company can do for you.)

You may have heard of one or more of these elements previously.  But as I said, it is always easier to know than to do.  In our forthcoming lessons, we’ll talk about what exactly we are going to do with each of the elements.

Anna Maria D’Souza’s Thought of the Day:
One Simple Error Can Disqualify You Instantly - Typo

I once wanted to hire a personal assistant and received a cover letter applying for ‘personnel assistant’.  Result?  That letter went to the trash bin immediately.  No matter how good your qualification is or how well your letter is written, one typo can kill.  ‘Personal Assistant’ is a completely different role from a ‘Personnel Assistant’.  Hiring managers won’t spend time reading a letter NOT applying to the position that they are hiring.

The non-negotiable simple but most important rule in writing a cover letter is ERROR FREE - Proof-read for spelling and grammatical errors.  No cover letter should go out of the door with any error in it, no matter how tiny it is.

Need help?  Download Ginger Grammar & Spell Checker for FREE 

Cover Letter Blog - 7 Key Elements of an Outstanding Cover Letter