From initially starting my cover letter to now I have definitely gained a lot of insight about what it is that makes a good cover letter. You must be specific about your past experiences and personal qualities that you are bringing to a new job. You must also be clear in your writing, clearly stating how you heard about the job, why you’re interested in this position at this company in particular, and what kind of action you would like the employer to take. Writing a well rounded cover letter requires not only listing off your personal experiences, but also presenting yourself as a real person to a potential employer.
For me, the hardest part of writing my cover letter was trying to show the ways that my skills or experience (that may not meet all required criteria) can still be used to help me succeed at a new job. After writing my first draft I felt like the “desire” aspect of my letter wasn’t strong enough and I wasn’t able to accurately present any personal qualities that I have to the employer. After some help from my peers during our workshop I was able to uncover some of the qualities that I hadn’t realized may be relevant before. For a while, I felt like I was struggling to come up with examples because I was looking explicitly at school and work experience for relevant information. However, once I was able to see the ways that some of the most boring or average qualities can be transferred to the workplace and become some of the most important, I was able to come up with a lot more examples. From working through the entire process of creating a cover letter I’ve definitely learned to try to think outside of the box when it comes to trying to sell yourself.
