News & Events

YWCA Saskatoon’s Employment and Learning Centre remains closed for in-person programs in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.  We will continue to provide remote services via email, telephone and social media (Facebook).

We believe it is important to maintain your job search momentum. As such the Employment and Learning Centre will offer you daily job search advice and support that you can complete from home.

Today’s post is another post in the series….

Customize Your Cover Letter

It is very important that your cover letter is tailored to each position you are applying to. This means more than just changing the name of the company in the body of the letter. Each cover letter you write should be customized to include which job you’re applying for (include the job title in your opening paragraph), how you learned about the job (and a referral if you have one), why you are qualified for the job (be specific), what you have to offer the employer, and why you want to work at this specific company (match your skills to the job description, and read up on the organization’s mission, values, and goals to mention in your letter), and a thank you for being considered for the job.

Format Your Cover Letter

Your cover letter should be formatted like a professional business letter. The font should match the font you used on your resume and should be simple and easy to read. Basic fonts like Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman work well. A font size of 11 or 12 points is easy to read. Standard margins are 1” on the top, bottom, and left and right sides of the page.

Edit and Proofread Your Cover Letter

Remember to edit and proof your cover letter before sending it. It may sound silly, but make sure you include the correct employer and company names – when you write multiple cover letters at once, it is easy to make a mistake. Printing out and reading the letter aloud is a good way to catch small typos, such as missing words, or sentences that sound odd.

Always double-check the spelling of your contact’s name, as well as the company name. If possible, enlist a friend or a family member to help proofread your cover letter, as two pairs of eyes are better than one.

A well-written cover letter will help get your application noticed and help you secure an interview. Take the time to personalize it so it shows the employer why you’re a solid candidate for the job.

Your Employment and Learning staff are working remotely through email or over the telephone.  Should you have any questions about resumes, job interviews, job interview questions, how to prepare or how to answer those difficult questions, feel free to contact any of your Employment and Learning staff for support.  You can reach us at:

• (306) 986-2873 [Telephone]
• empserv@ywcasaskatoon.com [Email].

Stay motivated; stay healthy as you achieve your employment goals.

You can view the full original article by Alison Doyle at The Balance Careers, at: www.thebalancecareers.com/cover-letters-4161919