How do you start an application letter?
Traditional cover letter wisdom tells you to start a cover letter with something to the effect of: Show
Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to apply for the marketing manager position with the Thomas Company. We say: A cookie cutter cover letter intro feels as outdated as a Hotmail address. SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here, and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you. Your cover letter is the best way to introduce yourself to a hiring manager—who you are, what you have to offer, and why you want the job—but you have an extremely limited amount of space to do it. So if you really want to get noticed, you’ve got to start right off the bat with something that grabs your reader’s attention. What do we mean? Well, we won’t just tell you, we’ll *show* you—but first, a few super quick tips! Tips for writing an effective cover letterHere are a few pointers to guide you as you use our example cover letter openings—we’re getting there, we promise!—to craft your own:
30 strong cover letter openersWe’ve
come up with 30 examples and separated them by the method they use to grab the reader’s attention. We don’t recommend copying and pasting them because, well, your cover letter should be unique to your stories, background, and interests, but you can most definitely use them to get inspired for your next application. (If you’re looking to see what an entire cover letter might look like, check out our article on the
best cover letter examples for every type of job seeker.) Start with passionEmployers want to hire people who care about what they’re doing. If you start your cover letter off talking about your passions and how they relate to the job, you’re telling the reader that you’ll be an engaged and motivated employee who’s likely to stick around. Plus, it’s a good way to tell the company a bit about who you are as a person right off the bat. Just be honest and realistic.
Start with admirationCompanies often want to hire people who already know, love, eat, and sleep their brand. What better to kick off your cover letter than a little flattery? Of course, remember when you’re telling a company why you love it to be specific and genuine. Because while everyone likes a compliment, no one likes obvious self-serving B.S.
Start with accomplishmentsFor any given job, you’re going to be competing with a lot of other people—presumably, a lot of other similarly qualified people. So a great way to stand out in your cover letter is to highlight something about yourself—a character trait, an accomplishment, a really impressive skill—that’ll quickly show how you stand out.
Start with humor and creativityOK, before you read any of these, we have to stamp them with a big, blaring disclaimer: Do your homework before trying anything like this—learning everything you can about the company and the hiring manager to gauge whether or not they appreciate some comedic relief or a bit of snark. If they do, it’s a great way to make them smile (then call you). If they don’t? Try a different approach.
Jenny Foss, Erica Breuer, and Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article. Updated 2/9/2022 What is the first thing to write in application letter?Create a heading. You need to use a proper business heading for your letter. The heading should include your name and get in touch with information, the date, and therefore the name and address. If you send your application letter via email, you'll eliminate your name and get in touch with information from the header.
How do you start an application sentence?Be direct. In these opening sentences, you want to explicitly let the reader know which position you're applying for. ... . Mention a contact. If someone referred you to the position, include that information early on as well. ... . State an accomplishment. ... . Express excitement. ... . Use keywords.. How do you start and end an application letter?Make sure to offer thanks for their time and consideration, and choose a professional closing salutation such as, “Sincerely,” “Best regards” or “Thank you for your consideration.” Avoid overly familiar phrases like, “Yours,” “Cheers” or “Take care.”
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