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If you’ve been applying for jobs like crazy, but hearing nothing back, your cover letter might be the problem. Often overlooked as a mere formality, this essential document can make or break your chances of scoring an interview.

When a cover letter fails to leave an in impression, it often lands in the trash right beside its accompanying resume. This is especially the case with the most competitive positions, as employers have plenty of candidates to choose from. If yours is anything short of amazing, refine it now before it costs you another job.

5 Tips to Make Your Cover Letter Stand Out

  1. Address it to the Hiring Manager

Sometimes the smallest details mean the most. If possible, find the name of the hiring manager and personally address your cover letter to them. This may involve the need for a little detective work on the company website or LinkedIn, but your efforts will be duly noted.

  1. Ditch the Template

Hiring managers read a lot of cover letters, so they can tell the difference between one written for their specific job and a fill-in-the-blank template. Writing a canned cover letter saves a lot of time, but impresses no one. If you want an interview, start every cover letter from scratch.

  1. Use Bullet Points

Reading a huge pile of cover letters from start-to-finish takes more time than many hiring managers have, so scannable text is highly preferred. Make this happen by highlighting relevant skills and accomplishments — quantified when possible — in four to six bullet points. Write these specifically for your cover letter, because you don’t want to repeat what’s already on your resume.

  1. Keep it Short and Sweet

Since hiring managers don’t have the time — or desire — to read a manifesto, your cover letter should be no longer than one page. Break your text up into a few brief paragraphs and include only necessary information. It should engage the hiring manager and encourage them to move on to your resume, not bore and exhaust them.

  1. Ask Someone Else to Proofread

Your cover letter must be flawless. After proofreading it several times yourself, ask at least one trusted party to review it. Catching your own mistakes can be hard, so a fresh set of eyes will help ensure any errors are corrected before it’s sent off to the hiring manager.


Having a little trouble landing a great light industrial, warehouse or manufacturing job? PrideStaff Northern Kentucky wants to help you every step of the way. Contact us today to start your search for fantastic temporary, temp-to-hire or direct hire opportunity.

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