Email or LinkedIn Cover letter

In today’s highly competitive marketplace, creating a memorable, transparent, and non-ambiguous cover letter is the pinnacle to stand out from the rest. It is that extra step along with a polished CV to deliver a more insightful, personalized message to your prospective employer that you host all the essential qualifications for the role you are applying to.

Now, if you have found a respected employer on LinkedIn and want to apply through there or via email, here is a step by step guide on how to foster the best cover letter for this situation to land yourself an interview.

Why Condensed Cover Letters are Important in Emails

First and foremost, let’s discuss the importance of a concise, to the point cover letter in the first place. Typical cover letters are about a page long, sometimes more, and are filled with experiences, skills, passion, and everything else in between that can paint you in a significant light. Though that is great for some formal applications, when it comes to emails and LinkedIn applications, you need to be much more condensed.

No one wants to read a story in an email or on an attachment, especially busy managers. They will lose interest pretty fast and skim over the details if they cannot see the point you are making and the relevance right away. They do not want your life story or a lengthy recap of your CV. They simply want to see a glimpse of your personality and supportive evidence that you are someone they can value taking on. This is why short, sweet, and to the point is critical, and using the right structure can optimize its attractiveness as well.

What to Include

1. Subject Line: Make sure to include a subject line that contains the position that you are applying for.
2. Greeting Line: If you know the hiring manager’s name, use that to be more personable. If you are unsure, simply write “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Sir / Madam”
3. The Body: Here, try to keep it short and straight to the point (just a couple of sentences):
   • The first paragraph should show your enthusiasm and passion for the company and a brief summary of why you are the perfect candidate.
   • The second paragraph should go into the details of those core reasons you qualify and are an excellent fit for the role. This is where you should sell yourself, showcasing your experiences, successes, and knowledge
4. Strong Closer and Signature: Finish off strong. Let the hiring manager or recruiter know that you are interested, available to discuss further at any time, and always thank them for their consideration.

Sample Email

Here is a sample email with some elements of what we have just discussed. Remember, you do not have to completely stick to the items listed above as you would see in the sample email below. Just make sure that the message you are trying to put across can be conveyed in a short and concise way.

Subject: Sales Associate position at ABC Company

Dear Hiring Manager,

I read with enthusiasm your opening for a Sales Associate at ABC Company. I am confident that my 10 years of experience as a sales professional with a successful track record of meeting and exceeding sales objectives makes me a valuable match for this position.

Attached you will find my detailed CV, showcasing my experiences, education and successes, which includes generating over $X in sales, and averaging X% in sales growth in just one year. I now welcome the opportunity to deliver the same outcome for your company too.

I am well qualified and fully equipped to lead entire sales cycle processes from start to finish and strive for customer satisfaction every time. With my background and ardency, I believe that I will be a valuable asset to your team if given the fortuity.

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dan Solomon

Conclusion

Take the time to research the company you are applying for, do a thorough read of the job description, and really take the time to see if you could be the best person for the role and why someone should hire you. Then tailor your cover letter to fit the qualifications in such a way that shows you are someone they should take an interest in.

As a final note, always remember to keep your content short, exciting, and approach it as not why you want the position, but what you can offer them. Show them what you can contribute and shift the focus onto your goals of improving the business/company instead of yourself.

Good luck!