If you’re looking to write an online cover letter, where would you start? A flashy website or a humble blog? Perhaps a poorly designed social media platform?
The answer is: it depends. What are you trying to get across? Why are you writing this letter?
An effective online cover letter will answer these questions and more. To help you craft the perfect document, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks on how to write an online cover letter for an online job.
Know What To Include And What To Leave Out
When you’re writing your letter, it’s important to keep in mind what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you looking to impress the employer with your knowledge? Do you need to sell yourself as a capable employee?
If you’re not sure what to include in your letter, it may be a smart move to leave it out. However, if you know that certain information will make the reader more likely to call you, it’s worth the risk of including it. Sometimes, writing a cover letter is more art than science. In these instances, you may want to leave more to chance.
Formatting Is Key
When you send a professional-looking cover letter, you’ve successfully written an effective online cover letter. However, if you want to take your letter a step further, you’ll need to format it carefully to ensure that it looks elegant and appealing. Many times, a simple font choice and some simple yet effective design choices will make a world of difference. Before you even start thinking about including a lot of content or using complex designs, you’ll need to ensure that your letter looks as good as new. Otherwise, you might as well not have bothered.
Keep It Short
The golden rule of writing an online cover letter is to keep it short and sweet. If you have an extensive knowledge base that you want to share with the employer, split it up over several emails. Alternatively, if you’re worried about not being able to include enough content for the employer to consider you for the position, write a short pitch instead. The shorter the letter, the more effective it will be. When it comes to getting a job, brevity is usually the best policy.
Understand The Recruiters’ Mindset
If you want to write an effective cover letter for an online job, you’ll need to understand why the recruiter is recruiting this specific person and not someone else. Sometimes, you’ll have to go above and beyond to secure an offer, but that’s part of the fun. To succeed in this highly competitive world, it’s essential to figure out how the employer thinks and what they’re looking for. In many cases, the employer will provide some insight into their decision-making process, so you’ll have a clearer idea of what to include in your letter.
Practice
Writing a cover letter is an art form that you’ll need to perfect. Like anything else in life, practice makes perfect. Before you know it, you’ll be writing letters for your friends and family, and eventually, you’ll have enough experience under your belt to tackle a professional position.
Include A Little Personality
Just like a great book or a classic movie, an excellent cover letter will have a little bit of personality. Sometimes, a simple flourish here and there will bring a little charm to the letter. In these instances, you might want to use humor or a whimsical tone to make the reader more receptive to your message. When it comes to writing an online letter, a little bit of personality goes a long way.
Avoid Plagiarism
Plagiarism is copying and pasting large amounts of information from one source to another without giving proper credit. In short, plagiarism is stealing. When you’re writing an online cover letter, avoid doing this. Instead, find the relevant sources and credit them where you can. In some instances, you’ll even want to include a link to the original source in case the reader wants to learn more. When you give credit where credit is due, you demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and are thus, more qualified for the job. In most cases, a little bit of originality goes a long way.
Proofread
No, we don’t mean your grammar and spelling. When you’ve written an online cover letter, it’s essential to go through it several times to ensure that there are no errors. In most cases, these types of errors will undermine your credibility as a writer and make your employer question your competence. Even in the event that no error is identified, a poorly constructed letter can still look a bit amateurish and, in some instances, detract from your overall appeal. Before you start sending your letter out, it’s important to proofread it several times to ensure that all the tenses, verbs, and nouns are present and correct.
Keep It Organized
Writing a great letter is undoubtedly easier said than done. Like any other great piece of literature, your cover letter will be worth it in the end, but it will require a bit of work to get there. Like a great novel, your cover letter will have plot twists and turns, and there will probably be a few places where you’ll need to backtrack to clarify information. In these instances, having your letter organized and concise will be of great help. If you find that you’re getting confused about what to include or leave out, it’s probably a great idea to sit and brainstorm with a professional for a couple of hours. By the end of this time, you’ll have a clear picture of what you need to include in your letter to secure the job.
Summing Up
To write a great cover letter, it takes some practice. Often, there’s a lot of trial and error involved in getting everything right. However, if you want to write an effective cover letter, it’s definitely doable. In many cases, a simple font choice, some simple design choices, and a little bit of research can go a long way. In many instances, writing a cover letter is more art than science. Sometimes, all you need is a little luck and the willingness to learn.