You’re probably wondering why that social media job keeps eluding you,
You’ve got the required skillset and experience to perfectly fit the role,
You’ve done your damnedest by crafting an outstanding resume,
But somehow the dots still don’t connect.
Not everything you desire comes to you on a platter of gold. You must be willing to go the extra mile with an element of ingenuity to land your desired social media job in today’s competitive job market.
It takes a little more than your best to stand out to hiring managers among other candidates vying for the same position. Many job seekers rely solely on resumes to demonstrate their competence, but in reality, this may not be the most effective way to market your skills.
Including a carefully crafted cover letter as an extension of your resume may give you a competitive advantage over others who did not. It clarifies how your skillset aligns with the role, why you want the position, and ultimately what you are bringing to the table.
Keep in mind that a cover letter could also ruin your chances of getting an interview if there are inconsistencies therein, so you need to pay attention to details. Focus on what you’ve got to offer the organization rather than the many benefits you hope to get from them.
In this article, you’ll learn about a cover letter, its benefits, and useful tips you can to write an effective cover letter. Read on to learn more
What you need to know about a cover letter
A cover letter is a one-page document submitted along with a resume to the hiring manager during a job application. It gives the hiring team a professional look into your personality, your achievements, and other unique qualities that make you the most suitable applicant for the job.
A well-written cover letter could land you a job when there are applicants with better skillsets and experience vying for the same role. So the idea is to sell yourself to the hiring team in a manner that will make them remember you.
Benefits of a cover letter when seeking social media jobs
- Demonstrate your personality
Unlike a resume, a cover letter allows you to bring your personality to life before getting a chance for an interview with the manager.
You get to exhibit several unique traits that define what you have to offer. They include your passion, leadership skills, self-motivation, and other qualities that set you apart from other candidates and are relevant to the position you have applied for.
Additionally, it gives the reader a glimpse into your professional history. You get to elaborate more on your previous roles, accomplishments, challenges, and what prompted you to seek a new job opportunity.
- Exhibit your skillset
Cover letters allow you to go all out and convey the true extent of your abilities, work experience, accomplishments, and how they will eventually yield key results when you get hired.
You could be a fresh graduate without work experience in any social media job and still be considered for a vacant role ahead of a more qualified candidate.
It all depends on how well you’re able to leverage and carefully craft out your prior internship experiences, skills, and personal attributes on that one-page document.
- Grab your employer’s attention
Cover letters are often considered trivial by applicants during job applications. In fact, 58% of job seekers feel it’s unnecessary, and that’s all the more reason you should leverage them.
Being the first line of contact between you and your potential employer, it’s a terrific way to showcase your core capabilities and create a good first impression.
It’s also a great way to stand out among similarly skilled candidates and stay top of mind with your hiring manager. Once you succeed in gaining the recruiter’s attention, you’ll have a better chance of securing the position.
- Provoke interview discussions
You could earn yourself a discussion session instead of a proper interview with a great cover letter. Something you cited could have aroused your hiring manager’s keen interest in wanting to get the full gist at the interview session.
This is especially good for you as it spawns a conversational and tension-free atmosphere, allowing you to create a very good rapport with the recruiter. You get to express your passion, share insights, and make proper clarifications about things that may be misconstrued about your resume.
- Display your communication skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills are prerequisites to securing a job in virtually every organization. Your ability to articulate your thoughts and express yourself freely with proper transitions between lines speaks volumes about your proficiency in oral and written communication.
- Showcase your enthusiasm for the role
Your cover letter is a direct message to the hiring manager about how enthusiastic you are about the position and organization. It allows you to demonstrate your level of familiarity with the organization’s standards, its core values, the role you’re applying for, and the challenges inherent therein.
All of these and more align together to show how resourceful you’ll be for the organization.
- Sets you up for success in your new position
A cover letter could do way more than help you secure a social media job. It can earn you an unparalleled reputation before your new manager and other co-workers.
All of the previously mentioned benefits instill a level of trust and confidence in your manager, thereby making it easier for you to get backing on personal projects, authorization to take certain risks, and top consideration for your opinions.
Crafting a great cover letter
If you’re looking to win the heart of your recruiter, writing a cover letter is a surefire way, but it requires a systematic approach. Below are some tips that can facilitate its efficiency:
- Study the job description
A job description entails the necessary information you need throughout the application process. It spells out job requirements, which allows you to know if you’re suitable for the role or not. They include qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant information relevant to the position.
It also contains step-by-step instructions and a format for the application with a stipulated deadline. Paying attention to details is vital, as it helps in writing a compelling cover letter.
- Be thorough in your research
Take your time to carefully research the organization and the role you’re vying for. Check out the company’s websites, social media platforms, employee reviews, and all other pertinent sources of information that could give you insights into their work ethics and policies.
A painstaking amount of research allows you to streamline the content of your cover letter in a manner that is relevant to the job and the standards of the organization.
- Spice things up
You have to be intentionally creative when writing a cover letter. Your introductory sentence or paragraph should be compelling enough to make the hiring manager interested in the entire write-up.
Avoid beating around the bush; carefully outline your skills and traits in succession and how they make you the most suitable candidate for the role. Be interestingly informative when citing your achievements in your previous roles and how your skillset can come in handy when solving problems.
- Be meticulous in writing
Obviously, your cover letter works pari passu with your resume. Invest your time in formatting and fine-tuning their contents each time you want to make an application.
Ensure you proofread the contents of your letter after drafting. Be keen to scrutinize it for grammatical and structural errors, ensure the font and font sizes tally with those of your resume, and use proper alignment and line spacing.
- Include your personal information
Your contact details are a vital part of your cover letter in that they serve as the communication link between you and your hiring manager. You should include your name, phone number, and email address when submitting a hard copy of your cover letter. For online submissions, a professional online profile should suffice.
- Keep it formal till the end
Maintain a professional tone and style of writing from start to finish. When concluding your letter, end on a formal note with “Yours truly” or “faithfully” and append your signature if you’re submitting a hard copy or your full name in the case of email submission.
All it takes is a bit of effort
Landing your desired social media job may not be all that difficult. Perhaps a more tactical approach is all you need to beat the competition. Keep in mind that your hiring manager decides who gets the job, not the recruiter or HR.
Many job applicants misconstrue cover letters as irrelevant, losing sight of their many benefits, but in reality, they contain the secret ingredient to winning the hearts of the HR team and ultimately the hiring manager.
I hope you’ll go the extra mile by creating a top-notch cover letter and eventually land that social media job that has long eluded you.
Writer’s Bio
Rilwan Kazeem is a freelance content writer. He has been in the writing world for three years. Being a passionate reader and content writer. He takes pleasure in conducting research and engaging his readers with thought-provoking and detailed blogs and articles.
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