You might be asked to write a cover letter for a job you have applied for but don’t know the person’s name yet. In this case, you have neither met nor spoken with the person who will be deciding your fate. How do you write the perfect cover letter to land yourself the job? We’re breaking down the key components that you need to include to make it shine.
The Subject Line
It’s vital that you keep the reader’s interest while also sounding like a trustworthy person. In the case of a cover letter, you want to grab the attention of the person reading it while also leaving an impression that you are a serious applicant. For this, you need to include an interesting and unique subject line for your email. While you can ask someone for help with this, nothing stops you from going above and beyond and creating a custom subject line that will leave an impact on the person reading it.
Keep in mind that the person you are sending your letter to might be receiving hundreds of applications a day. To ensure that your application stands out, you need to include an interesting and unique subject line.
The Introduction
The introduction is one of the most important parts of your cover letter. You want to make sure that the person reading it feels that they are meeting a real person and not a form letter. For this, you need to include a short description of yourself that will engage the reader and make them want to keep reading. If you are including a CV or resume, you can link to it using the @ symbol followed by the job title.
Something as simple as, “Dear Mr. Smith,” will make the person reading it feel as though you know their name and are addressing them by their first name. You then continue with a short but sweet description of your experiences and why you are the right person for the job.
You want to use this part to convince the person reading it that you are more than just another applicant. You want them to feel like you are the person they are waiting to hear from. In order to do this, you need to include a short but sweet description of yourself that will engage the reader and make them want to keep reading. Remember: you are applying for a job that you don’t know the person’s name yet, so you will need to use your imagination to come up with a short description of yourself.
The Body
When people read, they usually skip over the body of the text and move directly to the conclusion. For this reason, you need to include a summary of what you have written so far in the letter along with your proposed solution to the problem. Remember: you are under no obligation to provide a solution to the problem, but it will certainly help you stand out amongst the rest of the applicants if you do.
In the body of the letter, you need to include all the important information for the person reading it. You want your letter to be the perfect blend of the two things that attracted you to the job in the first place: relevant experience and a unique selling point. If you do not include these elements, your application will seem very similar to all the other applicants and you will not stand a chance at getting the job.
If you have already written an introduction and body, you can use this part to sum up what you have written and provide some concluding remarks. Remember that your letter will be read by a lot of people, so you want to keep your letter short but sweet.
The Conclusion
You want to end your letter on a high note, leaving the person reading it feeling that they have learned something new and that you are a valuable contributor to the conversation. To do this, you need to include a short but sweet conclusion that sums up your letter and leaves an impression that you are a thought leader in your industry. You can either thank the person who invited you to apply for the job or you can leave them a little note that they will appreciate for having taken the time to read your letter.
As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when writing a cover letter for a job you don’t know the person’s name yet. While it might seem like a difficult task, it is a very valuable experience that will prove to be a great asset to you in your future endeavors. Take some time to think of a unique subject line and a short but sweet description of yourself, and you will be on your way to writing the perfect cover letter.