In the competitive world of accounting, a superior cover letter can give your resume the extra boost it needs to get noticed by prospective employers. While most applications and resumes are submitted online now, it is true that a cover letter might not be the first thing a hiring manager considers. Still, it can make all the difference in showing the employer that you took extra steps to make a good impression.
A great cover letter will inform potential employers of how your skill set will add value to their organization, making your resume look more attractive. It is also an opportunity to display your eagerness to work and your initiative to go the extra mile if you craft a cover letter.
Tips to Make Your Cover Letter Stand Out
When writing your cover letter, keep these easy tips in mind to ensure that you are creating something that is unique, personalized, impressive, succinct, and impactful.
- Cater the language for the position you’re applying to. Job titles are specific to each company, so make sure that you name the job title that you are pursuing in your cover letter. Use language similar to what they used in the job description, and describe how your accounting skills and experience match those that they listed.
- Keep it short. A cover letter should be no more than one page, ideally three paragraphs. Managers often have hundreds of applications and resumes to look through, so giving them a long-winded cover letter will likely hurt your chances of getting noticed. Be cognizant of their time, by getting right to the point.
- Include highlights from your resume, not the entire thing. It is a good idea to reiterate professional training or courses, memberships to professional associations, and impressive statistics from your resume to drive home your professional value. Don’t just simply copy and paste your entire resume though; a cover letter should only be used to add value to your resume.
- Put yourself out there. Show your personality through your passion for what you do. Tell prospective employers what makes you unique and how that will make you the best candidate for the job and add value to their organization.
- Keep contact information professional. Email addresses, though often clever, can be inappropriate. Update your contact details to something professional and ensure that your resume has your most recent phone number and contact details.
- Leave out explanations of employment gaps or lack of skills. Don’t include any information that may detract from a hiring manager’s opinion or give them a reason not to consider you. If you feel the need to explain employment or educational gaps, do it on your resume.
- Avoid typos and mistakes. Mistakes like typos, misinformation about the company, misspelled names, or incorrect or outdated accounting information can be extremely off-putting to potential employers. It can give the impression that your work might be sloppy or that you didn’t care enough to research or double-check it.
- Make it mobile-friendly. Technology allows us to do a lot of work while on the go, so hiring managers could potentially be viewing your cover letter on a mobile device. To ensure that they can read it your cover letter, keep it short to cut down on scrolling and also send it as a PDF file whenever possible.
- End with a call to action. Conclude your cover letter by restating how eager you are to make an impact and that you look forward to discussing the role in more detail. Make sure that you thank the recipient of the letter for their time.
Utilize these tips to create a unique and personalized cover letter that highlights your attributes and value as an accounting professional. Contact us today and learn how our elite team of recruiters can help connect you with the right accounting positions for you.