4 Helpful Tips on How to Craft a Creative Cover Letter

Applying for jobs within the career path you want to pursue is exciting. It’s an opportunity for you to find ways to be creative in standing out among a host of other applicants and show employers why you would be the best fit for their team. The process may appear daunting, but this breakdown of cover letter tips will help you as you craft an application that highlights your expertise, skills, and unique standing.

What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a one-page document that highlights your interest in the particular job you are applying for. A cover letter will be different for each job you apply to and will highlight key components of why you’d be a good fit for that specific company.

Cover Letter Versus Resume

A cover letter is your way of showing your excitement in a particular job and is usually completed in paragraph format. A resume will highlight your previous and current educational endeavors, work experience, and awards or achievements. This information is usually presented in succinct bullet points.

What to Include in a Cover Letter

When crafting your cover letter, remember to include your name and contact information at the top of the page. This is vital so that an employer can reach back out to you if they are interested in offering you an interview. Next, you need to include a brief greeting and an introductory paragraph on the job role you are applying for. You may include how you found the position. You want to then highlight in a new paragraph how you will contribute to the company’s mission and play an integral role in helping them meet their vision. To wrap it up, you want to express interest in speaking further, and don’t forget to sign the letter.

Creative Tips for a Cover Letter

Mission and vision—One of the easiest ways to stand out among applicants is to research the company’s website and understand their mission and vision. Then, you can use this information in your cover letter to highlight how your skills and passions will work well with the company’s goals. This is a key component to showing employers you took the time to learn about the organization and that your cover letter is not generic.
Add personality—Incorporating humor or appropriate workplace language in your cover letter that highlights your voice as a person will help employers get to know you even before the interview. Adding personality creates a dimension of interest and helps others see that you are personable even while you highlight your achievements and qualifications.
Highlight yourself—Emphasize what sets you apart from other people applying for this position. What work or life experience do you have that will be an asset to the team and why should that information intrigue the employer?
Keep it simple—It may be tempting to find a creative font that isn’t used often to make your cover letter stand out, but it will make your application pop for the wrong reasons. You want employers to be able to easily and quickly read the content in your letter, which means sticking to a familiar font such as Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial. Ensuring your font size is also kept in the standard range of 11 – 12 is important.

For more ideas on crafting a creative cover letter, read this article.

Where to Find Jobs

There are a plethora of reputable job sites you can use to search for a position that fits your area of study. Most of these hosting sites will give you the job description and provide a place for you to apply right from the website, which will then notify employers.

You can also go directly to a company’s website and search for a heading such as “Job Opportunities” or “Work With Us.” They will usually list out all the available openings and send you to one of the third-party job application sites to ensure all the applications are housed in one accessible area for them to review.

Here is a list of a few sites you can use to input keywords when looking for a job or upload your cover letter and resume.

Ziprecruiter—This resource allows you to narrow down a search for jobs in different fields.
LinkedIn—This is a great resource for networking and connecting with other professionals in various industries.
Indeed—This resource is a helpful way to search and apply for jobs.
Glassdoor—This site allows you to compare salaries and read company reviews.

Get Started on Your Career

Looking to start your career with affordable, flexible programs that fit your needs? Blackstone Career Institute offers a variety of distance education career diploma programs with online textbooks, a self-paced study curriculum, and adjunct faculty who are experts in the field.

Several of the programs also have an option to sit for a certification exam when you complete the program and earn your diploma. You can list this prestigious accomplishment in your cover letter or resume upon passing the certification exam, which can help you stand out to employers.

For more information on finding a program that fits you, contact us, and speak with an admissions advisor today.

Written by Laura Conaway