ESL for Job Hunting | How To Write A Cover Letter

Looking for a job in an English speaking country? Today, we'll give you some advice on how to write a cover letter.

BASIC FORMAT

There are a lot of formats you can use but your cover letter should have five basic things.

• your contact information
• a formal salutation to the person hiring (i.e., greeting)
• the job you want clearly written (you don't need to put it bold but it doesn't hurt if you do)
• your skills/experiences/successes in listed with bullet points
• a request for an interview and thanks for the readers' time and consideration

Cover letters and resumes often get mixed up. Your name and contact information at the top of your cover letter can help employers match your letter to your resume or phone/email you for a copy if it's lost.

Using bullet points  helps the reader take in information more easily and focus on your skills. People can see that you're able to use Microsoft Office programs effectively.

Always invite further communication and feedback. It's always good to end your cover letter with something like:

"I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you very soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your time and consideration."

USE THE AD

Use the ad to create your cover letter. For example, let's imagine a coffee shop is looking for a barista. Employers provide a lot of information, so include it in your cover letter. For example, if the job requires advanced knowledge of Microsoft Suite applications include whatever skills and experiences you have using it.

WORDS TO USE

Your cover letter and resume should have:

&

Don't be shy about "talking" yourself "up": promote your skills, knowledge, and experience. 
For example:

I am able to work well with all Microsoft Office suite programs. 👎

I am highly proficient  with all Microsoft Office suite programs. 👌

ESL learners have a lot of high frequency words  such as good. In a cover letter and resume, stronger adjectives make a better impression. Good has many synonyms. 👇
   
Good

• acceptable
• bad
• excellent
• marvelous
• positive
• satisfactory
• satisfying
• superb
• valuable
• wonderful

 The words in bold are the ones that would be found in a resume and cover letter. You don't want to use words like marvelous because they are too strong. You want to seem confident but not boastful.

For more on cover letter/resume adjectives go to Just English's "155 Key Words for Resumes and Cover Letters.The job search website, Monster,  has many cover letter samples  you can use to help you. If you're not confident about your grammar, you can download Grammarly. Novoresume has excellent, free resume templates as well. 

Another invaluable  resource for ESL learners is friends, family, and coworkers who speak English. If you know a person who hires people, get them to review your resume and cover letter. 

 
Of course, your ESL instructor would be happy to give you feedback and advice too.

Good luck with your job search 👍.
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