Cover Letter Structure

It is extremely important to know how to structure your cover letter to make it fetching to the employer. Along with the style and content, the form that your cover letter should follow also goes a long way in making you presentable to the prospective employer making him want to have you called for an interview.



Before you start writing your cover letter, mention your name, postal address, contact information like your phone number and email and the date of writing the letter. The section that follows this is where you write the name of the person you are addressing your letter and it should be ideally the most important official in that organization, preferably the employer himself or if that is not possible, then the human resources manager who would interview and recruit you. The introductory part of your cover letter should state the purpose of the letter in the subject line, mentioning the position you are applying for. Then addressing the person to whom you are writing he letter as Dear Mr/Ms Surname of that person, begin the main body of the letter.



The first paragraph should begin to the point with specific mention of how you came to know of the position you are applying for. This creates the context for the rest of the letter. After evincing you interest in the position, refer to the resume you are enclosing with the letter for his detailed appraisal. In conclusion to the paragraph cite the relevance of your candidacy as it matches the requirements of the job with your skill and experience. Although you may use the traditional format of writing your cover letter in paragraphs, it is advisable not to use it as it fails to catch the attention of the employer directly. So you should make your points in a bulleted format that strikes and attracts the attention of the reader by its concise way of presenting all the relevant information. Under a separate head, mention the description of the job for which the employer had advertised and bring out its salient features. Follow this up with your qualifications that highlight how your credentials match the requirements of the job you are applying for. In this section it is important to communicate the diverse points of your skill and experience and if you have a set of expertise that was not mentioned in the job profile but you possess and feel can be useful, make a note of that point too.



In the final section that carries the concluding paragraph of your cover letter, thank the prospective employer for his time and consideration in going through your credentials. You can mention your notice period in the company you are currently working with, pointing out that how quickly you can assume your new responsibilities if hired. Expressing your earnest hope of being called for a personal interview thank him in anticipation. The ending salutation should be Yours Sincerely followed by your signature and your full name in parenthesis.