Writing An Effective Job Cover Letter

One important document in any job search is the letter application. Public and private offices alike require the cover letter. This is the first document that introduces an applicant to the employer. The application letter is not the primary document to assess the qualifications of a job applicant but it tells a lot about the attitude, personality and capability of an individual. A well-written application letter gets the attached documents to be reviewed further but a lousy one finds its way to the garbage bin.

 

There is no standard format for application letters when applying to a government post. Here are some tips on how to write a good application letter.

·         Direct and Simple  

The application letter should contain the position you are applying for. The phrase “for any position” is a no no in an application letter. Government publications of vacancies contain the specific position, qualification requirements such as training hours and location of the vacancy. Do not make your application letter too long. Just state the purpose of the letter, position you are applying for and the attachments you have included in your application letter.

·         Free of Errors 

Let your personality, intelligence and capability and interest show in your application letter even if this is a brief one. Ensure that it is well-packaged, no typo errors, no misspelled words, punctuation mistakes. The grammar must be accurate. In short, your application letter should be perfect.

Errors in application letters imply carelessness and disinterest. These are the impressions that a prospective employer will get with application letters full of errors. It can also create an impression of the level of intelligence and work attitude you have.

·         Brief and well-packaged

Ensure that your application letter or cover letter is short and is easy on the eye of the reader. Make it a point that your margin centered the letter on the page. Your cover letter should only be one page. Don’t make a litany of your experiences, qualifications or employment history in your cover letter.With the many tasks of  government offices, reading a long cover letter is not advisable. They don't have time for it.

·         Computer printed 

Your cover letter must be printed from a computer making use of word processor. Never submit a hand-written application letter. Be resourceful if you don’t have a computer, find one. The reason for this is that, hand-written applications are hard on the eyes of the reader, especially if your hand writing is not that good. Your prospective employer does not have the time in the world to decipher your hand writing. The result?, the application may find its way to the garbage bin.

·         Reader-friendly 

A clean cover letter is attractive to the eye. Make sure that your letter is free from erasures and smudges or crumples. Use black ink. Arial or Tahoma 12 fonts are best for business letters. No colors. Use plain and unscented paper. 

Your application letter tells a lot about you. An employer can create an impression about you with your cover letter. Do not forget that first impression lasts. So endeavor to make your cover letter perfect.