Importance of Resume Cover-Letter to Get You Hired in 2018

New years are times for many tech pros to start polishing their resumes and cover letters. As there is many a hiring manager or recruiter today that recommends getting a bit inventive with the format, the question is, should you try a bit of creativity while preparing your cover letter?

You may a get a number of expert advices regarding the effectiveness of a cover letter prepared direct and to the point without much illustration or other flourishes that might just obscure your message. Nevertheless, this might not be the outcome if your recruiter demands creativity. For such a job, making the resumes a bit more colourful could be the right way. Here you can punch in your header a small version of the logo of yours, if you have one. It might just pay even more if it is a creature designed by you for your last video game, lurking in the margins. To be fair, the presence of a logo or a symbolic graphic representation could well help in selling your imagination as well as creative skills; particularly if your target job is at a funky start-up.

However, for a good number of tech pros, the best strategy must be keeping their cover letter minimalist and to-the point as much as possible. There are job seekers that make the mistake of fashioning a rambling cover letter, loading it with extended regurgitations of their aspirations and previous jobs’ heroics. Such excessive efforts could only end up placing you at risk of having tossed before even deigning to give a decent look, as most recruiters tend to reserve only consideration of a few seconds for every candidate’s package.

Then if you are applying for an unsolicited job, with no acquaintances or former colleagues available for having a good word with the HR concerned on your behalf, you are best advised to write the first sentence or two of your cover letter with a view to impress the recruiter. Starting fast could be one ideal way, with a pitch that carries your most impressive selling points to place them meticulously in the context of the recruiting firm’s mission.

For example, if you are applying for the post of a software developer at a corresponding company, you could add a sentence such as the below given to make a positive impact.

“I am interested in the post of lead developer, as I am keen to use my skills in iOS application development to help the firm realize the next generation of its specialty”

One crucial point you ought to keep in mind while designing your cover letter is that the hiring manager need not be all that interested in reading your career goals and preferences. Instead, the major preference of the recruiters is the knowledge on what you could do for their company. Knowing this, you will also want to stay clear from any so-called ‘boilerplate’ stuff, which is something that looks like a slightly modified version of a standard template. Then, if your attempt at a resume appears too generic, it is more likely to doom your chances of being called for an interview. The best advice you have here, is to rewrite any such stuff in your own voice watching out for typos and grammatical errors.

In simpler terms to have in mind while preparing your ideal cover letter:

• Concise everything to be kept in a page and refrain from submitting an Epic Manuscript
• If you think your life depends much on this job targeted, proofread your cover letter like it really depends on it
• Understand your audience well while writing your cover letter; know well what you could do for them ideally
• Conclude you cover letter with authority, ending your message with a call to action. Say boldly that you are available during a given period for an interview, are also willing to follow up on a given date and are looking forward to meeting the person concerned
• See that your cover letter and resume are well aligned, with career information given in the former matching well with everything the latter mentions. These include dates and titles

Finally remember that you complement every resume of yours with a suiting cover letter. This is important, since if neglected, you are simply risking another precious opportunity coming your way to sell yourself.