At Valour Corp, we love to help job-seekers improve their professional image by equipping them with the tools that they need to ‘Be Known.’ We have a been especially fortunate to provide support to freelancers, including content creators, media personalities, web developers, and other professionals who provide ad hoc assistance to companies in need. Are you a freelancer looking for new business? This article will offer some tips for drafting cover letters, which are critical elements of job proposals.
Your cover letters and resume will often serve as your first opportunity to communicate with a prospective employer, so it is important to put your best foot forward. Your resume may offer the most complete representation of your education and experience, but resumes tend to be somewhat clinical in their appearance. A well-written cover letter is an opportunity to paint a more personalized picture. Let’s take a look at some of the qualities that make a good cover letter.
6 General Guidelines
There are a few general guidelines that you should observe when drafting a professional cover letter.
1. Address the employer with appropriate grace and tact. Make a point of finding out the editor or hiring manager’s name before you use the tried and true ‘Dear Sir or Madam.’ If you cannot identify who the cover letter should be addressed to, then using ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ is acceptable.
2. Provide a brief introduction to the potential employer stating why you are interested in the job. Also, it may be helpful to mention where you saw the employer’s advertisement. Many times, you will be asked for this information when filling out an online application.
3. Remember to tailor the cover letter to the job you’re applying to. Hiring managers aren’t impressed when applicants submit generic letter cover letters. If it is clear to the hiring manager that you did not put much effort into your letter, they may choose to discard your application.
4. Explain what you can bring to the company and emphasize why you are a good fit for the job you’re applying for. Highlight some of your skills, explaining how they relate to the potential position. Avoid being too wordy, as most hiring managers only have a short period of time to review cover letters and resumes, but recognize that the body of the cover letter should primarily be used to sell yourself–your skills, your experience, and your interest in their company.
5. If applicable, you may also wish to address relocation. If you are paying for the relocation, yourself, then is it imperative to stress to the boss that paying for such a move will not be an obstacle. If the employer is paying moving costs, then relocation is usually discussed later in the hiring process. Remote jobs can pretty much be done from anywhere, so relocation may not be a factor in these cases.
6. Conclude with a polite sign-off and your name, both signed and typed. “Sincerely,” “Best,” and “Thank you,” are all appropriate to use when closing a professional cover letter. Leave sufficient space between your sign-off and your name to pen your signature. In addition, if you own or work for a freelance business, be sure to provide the name of the company and your title.
A Few More Tips
- Print your cover letter on high-quality, white or buff-colored paper. Colored or textured papers are viewed as unprofessional and should be avoided.
- Double-check that your contact information is up to date. If a hiring manager can’t contact you, they can’t hire you!
- If you are already a business owner, you should use your business heading and logo at the top of your cover letter.
- Restrict your cover letter to one page in length. Managers do not want to read an extremely lengthy letter, nor do they have time to do so.
- Choose a standard font, like 12-point Times New Roman or Arial, so the body of your resume will be easy to read. However, you can be more creative in the fonts you use to sign your name.
At Valour Corp, our motto ‘Be Known’ reflects our commitment to training and promoting the best-quality freelancers. Because we specialize in remote team management, we are able to partner with talented individuals all over the world to provide affordable, top-tier support to our clients on a project-by-project basis. In concert with our remote talent, we offer a variety of services including, but not limited to, community management, social media marketing, public and media relations, artistic, and web site design. Contact us today to learn how we can help you ‘Be Known.’
