How to Show Your Personality in a Cover Letter
Have you ever taken a break from work? We don’t mean just a weekend off. We mean a real one. Like where you took off a year or so and spent your time making sock puppets, riding a horse, or surfing. Maybe you brought a beautiful new soul into the world, and your maternity leave went on for a little longer than expected. Perhaps you decided to travel the world, or, maybe, just maybe, you haven’t set foot in a real job yet. No matter your reason, you’re probably reading this because you’re looking to get to work. But of course, you’re now wondering what the best way to write a cover letter is when you want to show personality, and how to describe yourself in a cover letter. Here, we’re going to discuss how to make a cover letter stand out. Whether you’re looking for stay at home mom resume cover letter examples, or you’re going back into the world of work for any other reason – this article should help you set things straight.
Why Is It Important to Show Personality In a Cover Letter?
Put simply: it shows your enthusiasm. When looking into how to describe yourself in a cover letter, you don’t want it to be generic. The recruiter is screening hundreds of applications for every job they post, and a generic cover letter won’t make the cut. If you show the hiring manager your shining personality, they will be more likely to notice you when you reach the interview stage of the hiring process. Think of it as getting a “thumbs up” from the recruiter in advance. If they think you’re a good candidate, then they’ll probably make a mental note of the fact that you took the time to express yourself in a positive light. In addition to this, it gives the hiring manager an idea of who you are, your previous experiences, thought process, and interests. Often when hiring managers first read a job application, they notice how concise the candidate is. All in all, when looking into how to make a cover letter stand out – all you have to do is show a little personality and share previous experiences in the best possible way.
How to Show Personality
When looking at how to describe yourself in a cover letter, you don’t have to take the boring route. Whether you’re somebody who has experienced a lot of life through your travels, or you’re just looking for a stay at home mom resume cover letter – you can let your personality shine through. Try to think of a few personality quirks or things that make you unique, and word it in a way that’s brief, yet fun to read.
Try a Creative First Sentence
The best cover letters out there are organic, funny, well-written, and seem to have been written by someone who has found a new reason for living: to work for the company. The writer's voice fills the letter, and you can almost picture how much fun they'd be to have around the office. Stay away from generic opening sentences like ‘’I’m applying for position XYZ because’’. While this is a fine way to begin, the recruiter has already seen it hundreds of times. Try to be more engaging and show precisely where your passions lie.
Tell a Story
Don’t just duplicate your resume – tell the hiring manager a story! Once you have found your voice and style, it’s time to start writing. Sure, following your resume is an easy way to get started and add structure, but it can also come across as impersonal and bland. Instead of just repeating what’s on your resume, use the cover letter to reflect and connect your experience to who you are as a person.
Fake It Till You Make It
The biggest challenge when looking for the best way to write a cover letter is that you’re always trying to sell yourself to a stranger. Get your mind out of the gutter, that’s not what we mean! What we’re trying to say is that the person reading your cover letter has no idea who you are; they don’t know anything about you. When you add it all up, it can lead to an overly formal cover letter that’s jam-packed full of skills, job titles, and overused phrases that all say nothing about you. Try flipping the switch and instead pretending that the recruiter already knows you’re amazing, that you’re worthy of working for their company – and of course, that you’re exactly what they need. Having this mindset from the get-go allows you to climb out of the drudgery that is listing all your skills, and will teach you a thing or two about how to make a cover letter stand out from the rest.
Get Automated Help
If you’re not sure where to start in the best way to write a cover letter, check out our AI robot that is built to help you improve your writing skills. Cowrite's service helps you create high-quality texts in a short amount of time. All you have to do is answer a few questions about what you want to write, and Cowrite suggests pieces of text based on your choices. You can vary every element of the text and create a cover letter that's perfect for you. Karen Maristani Karen invented writing, the airplane, and the internet. She was also the first person to reach the North Pole. She has flown to Mars and back in one day, and was enthusiastically greeted by Aliens. She has also worked as a copywriter and journalist for many years and has helped hundreds of people write the perfect job application.