Steps To Writing An Effective Cover Letter And Appealing Resume

By Author: Filipino Virtual Assistance
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When it comes to getting hired, you need to provide an effective cover letter and a resume to your prospective clients. However, since the freelancing industry is now focusing on a portfolio basis, do you think sending a cover letter and resume still matters?

The answer is a BIG yes. A Jobvite survey shows that 53% of businesses think sending a resume alone is insufficient to push through the application. One of the reasons is that your resume and cover letter should support each other, grabbing the client’s attention.

Besides, the best cover letter can be a game-changer. How? Here are three reasons why a cover letter is a game-changer.

First, a covering letter allows you to showcase your skills.
Next, you are proving that you are the best fit for the role.
Third, you are presenting your experiences in a most accomplishing way.

How to Create an Effective Cover Letter?

In creating an effective cover letter, it is vital to provide an excellent impression to the client. Presenting the things you’re good at educates the client about how you can provide value to them.

Here’s ...
... an advice that will help you learn how to write a COVER LETTER to earn more interviews.

Tip#1. Make it easy to read
Not presentable cover letters will not buy your client, even if they present the best skills and experience. To create a catchy cover letter, you must pay attention to important factors such as fonts and margin.

FONTS

In highlighting the relevant information, it is vital to ensure they are easily readable on computers. Also, you must not use a font size below the standard, which is size 12. Here are suggested business-type fonts you can use to make your cover letter attractive.

1st option:
Serif Fonts, Times New Roman, Cambria, Georgia, Garamond, or Didot.

2nd option:
Sans Serif Fonts, Helvetica, Calibri, Arial, Trebuchet MS and Lato

MARGIN

The margin of your cover letter must be 1,” or you can reduce it to 1/2″. It depends on the length of your content. Alternatively, you must ensure that your cover letter is brief and straightforward because long content doesn’t interest clients to read.

Overall, it is essential to make sure that font style and sizes, and color should match your resume. Otherwise, it will look unprofessional.

Tip#2: Keep it to a single page
While crafting your cover letter, put in mind that you are making it for lazy and bored readers. This implies that you must provide a brief and concise letter because the reader will get bored quickly.

Similarly, business owners have a full plate always. Since they don’t have time to read a very lengthy and multi-page cover letter, a cover letter with 300-500 words is enough. Make sure to state clearly all relevant information in your letter.

Tip#3: Write unique cover letters
Crafting unique cover letters doesn’t mean letters with diverse content. Instead, personalize a cover letter tailor-fit to the need and pain points of each client.

Moreover, you must individually address each company’s problems. Elaborate your awareness of their goals and how you can help achieve them. That way, your cover letter will be more compelling and frame you like an engaging and thoughtful candidate.

How to Format a Visually-Appealing Resume

A resume is your professional marketing pitch, ensuring that it catches the client’s attention as soon as it arrives at his/her email. Formatting a visually appealing resume opens an opportunity to gain more interviews. Here’s an advice that will help you learn how to write a RESUME to earn more interviews.

Tip #1 Focus on the company’s needs
The secret to an appealing resume is focusing on the company’s needs. This means that you need to understand their pain points and why they are hiring you. Once you know their problems, you will then showcase the solutions that you can provide to them. Like their website and social media accounts, checking on the business’s online presence will guide you in crafting solutions.

Tip#2: Provide real concrete work examples
A portfolio matters in every application that you will have. And suppose the client will hire you, how can he/she be so sure that you can help the business? Again, showcase what you can offer to them.

For instance, the company needs an email marketer. Thus, there should be an alignment. From the cover letter, resume, and the information you will showcase, everything must possess relevance. Another one is validating your skills through sample outputs. You can either send a link or send screenshots.

Tip#3: Use keywords and jargons
Incorporating keywords and jargon related to the niche you’re applying for shows how knowledgeable you are in that field. Also, it validates your expertise and the value you can provide to the business.

Tip#4: Nail the summary of your resume
The summary of your resume is the perfect place to show what you’ve got. Also, it is an avenue to state
what you can do and the result that will benefit them. Here, state the BENEFIT and the IMPACT of the roles you did in your previous jobs. You can share certain analytics, insights, or growth from your previous jobs. By doing all of these, you are emphasizing the value that you can provide to the business.

Tip#5: Ask for feedback
Having your Resume read by others allows an opportunity to make it better. Either way, you can ask a friend or family member about the three things that come to mind when they see your resume. And then collect their thoughts and then re-evaluate your resume. And if their ideas have sense then, upgrade your resume before sending it through to your client.

Now, are you ready to send your freelancing application? You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk2iFDg9Iec.