7 Tips For Writing A Cover Letter When You Have No Experience

 

7 Tips For Writing A Cover Letter When You Have No Experience

Cover letters are often ignored by hiring managers, but they’re still an important part of the application process. If you’re applying to jobs without any experience, your cover letter is even more crucial than usual because you have nothing else to rely on! Follow these seven tips for writing a cover letter when you have no experience and you’ll be sure to catch the attention of hiring managers with your cover letter.

 

1) Use the Right Format

Be sure to use a professional letter format that’s commonly used for applying for jobs. This will help ensure that your cover letter doesn’t look like an amateur effort. The most common formatting styles include: Business Letter Format, Modified Block Style and Indented Style (sometimes called Modern or Textbook). Be sure to check with your hiring manager if you’re not sure which format is preferred. Also, as you draft your cover letter, keep in mind that it should be as brief as possible while still including all of your relevant information—one page is ideal. If a recruiter can quickly read through your letter and understand what value you bring to an organization, they may be more likely to reach out to schedule an interview with you.

 

2) Get it Sent Out Fast

The truth is that, regardless of your level of experience, it can take a lot of time to find a position you want—and even longer to get hired. According to CareerBuilder’s 2012 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which is conducted annually in partnership with Reuters, there were nearly 5 million job openings in August 2012. Despite those openings, employers filled only 3.5 million positions during that month—meaning they took an average of 4.3 weeks to fill their vacancies; compared with just over two weeks a year ago and slightly more than two weeks in 2008 during peak U.S.

 

3) Link Your Current Skills

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember: If you want a job in your field, make sure your cover letter emphasizes those skills. For example, if you have customer service experience or are pursuing a career as a freelance writer, make sure that’s apparent in your cover letter. Also consider listing internships, volunteering experiences and class projects that connect with potential employers. Once you've listed these applicable skills, organize them in order of importance—most relevant first. In other words: Don't start by writing about what interests you most; begin with what's most relevant to your goals.

 

4) Reference the Job Description

The first thing you should do is read through your employer’s job description. If it’s not in your resume, you can usually find a link to it on their careers page. Reviewing and understanding how they value different traits will help you customize your cover letter. There are two things I look for when reviewing a job description: What skills and traits are they looking for? What level of experience is required? (Note: if they don’t list any of these, feel free to contact them directly.)

 

5) Offer Something Unique

If you’re applying for an entry-level position, you should still aim to offer something that sets you apart from other candidates. People who apply for jobs they’re overqualified for are all too common, and a good employer will expect to see some sort of proof that they’d be bringing something unique to their team. If your cover letter is full of generic statements and To Whom It May Concerns, it might not even be read past its first sentence. If you have no prior experience in your desired field or sector, tell a story about how or why your background or experience makes you better suited than any other candidate.

 

6) Avoid Typos and Grammatical Errors

Misspellings and bad grammar make you look unprofessional and could result in a missed opportunity. The cover letter is an essential part of your job application, so make sure it’s polished. Don’t rely on auto-correct to correct errors; take time to carefully proofread your letter yourself. Consider reading it aloud for double check for misspellings or grammatical errors. (Free online tools like Grammarly are also helpful.) Remember that hiring managers often get hundreds of applications for a single position, so yours will only be successful if it stands out from all others—and nothing does that faster than clear, professional writing.

 

7) Keep It Brief

It’s a mistake to write a long, wordy cover letter. Most hiring managers and recruiters are too busy to read through pages of description about why you’re the perfect candidate for their open position. Instead, keep your cover letter no longer than one page—and possibly even half a page if possible. Don’t try to sell yourself in your cover letter; let your resume do that for you. Keep it short and sweet by limiting each paragraph to three or four sentences max, and make sure it flows from one topic to another smoothly. In other words, don’t make your hiring manager work hard just to figure out what you mean!

 

Conclusion

Make sure to keep your reader in mind when writing your cover letter. Follow these tips and you’ll be good to go! Good luck! See a Cover Letter Template that could help you more.

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