Personalize your first impressions to employers to stand out.To whom it may concern: If you’re starting your cover letter with this generic opening, you’ve already likely lost the job. With some extra effort, you can find out who is reviewing cover letters and address it to that person. A cover letter should be customized, tailored to the audience and show intention. Here’s how to craft a cover letter that gets attention. ​Include necessary componentsConnection: The introductory paragraph of your cover letter should have a hook, highlighting your relevant experience. Proposal: In the second paragraph, summarize your strengths and relate your skills to the competencies required for the position. Quantify your accomplishments and describe unique contributions you bring to the table.​Use important keywords When cover letters are uploaded into resume management systems, they too are often scanned for keywords, so be sure to use the language, syntax and keywords of the job posting in the cover letter, just as you would in the resume. The voice of cover letter should reflect the job posting. ​Tell a story The best stories invite us along on a journey with a hero to explore new places, new ideas and new adventures. They get us to momentarily forget our everyday life, and inspire us to aspire to greater heights as we accompany the main character to uncharted territory.  In your next cover letter, try storytelling techniques to inspire the reader to learn more about your best traits. ​Contact a human  After you have submitted your application online, consider printing your cover letter and find an actual human to send it to in the mail. This follow-up can underscore your interest in the position. Even in the face of the automation trend, the savvy job seeker keeps writing to humans. If you reach the right screener, the extra effort is justified.​By taking the time to craft a customized cover letter, you are signaling to the employer your interest in the position and demonstrating your understanding of the requirements and how they relate to your experience. Put in this extra work, and it could pay off​

Need more help on how to craft a great cover letter? Here's a sample of a cover letter for your reference.​​

A cover letter markets your qualifications, skills, knowledge, and experience, to create a favorable impression in response to a job posting or for targeted mailings to companies within a specific industry or for a specific position. To craft a cover letter that gets you an interview, it’s critical that you analyze the job ad.Make sure that you demonstrate that you meet the “essential” experience, qualifications, training, abilities and qualities that are “essential” for the position. Use the cover letter to explain how you meet the “preferred” requirements to increase the probability of securing an interview. The keywords in the job ad allow you to structure your cover letter around them. Use the cover letter to explain how you meet the “preferred” requirements for the position, which you can uncover by evaluating the job description for key words, phrases, or more subtle clues.​Components of a Great Cover LetterConnectionThe introductory paragraph of your cover letter should have a “hook,” highlighting your relevant experience.Proposal:In the second paragraph, summarize your strengths, and relate your skills to the competencies required for the position. Quantify your accomplishments and describe unique contributions you bring to the table.Next Steps:In the closing paragraph express appreciation for their consideration and close with a follow-up plan. 3 Common Types of Cover LettersThe T-Letter Cover Letter:Structure your letter so that you match each job requirement, which is on the left hand side, with your qualifications on the right hand side of the page.Point-by-Point Cover Letter:In this type of cover letter, your focus is on the specific requirements that align best with your experience and background.Targeted Cover Letter:Eighty percent of jobs are not advertised, so this type of cover letter is for unadvertised positions that you’d like to target – you are proposing a new position.By taking the time to craft a customized cover letter, you are signaling to the employer your high level of interest in the position and demonstrating your understanding of the core job requirements and how they relate to your experience. This article is contributed by Right Management www.rightmanagement.sg, the global career experts within the ManpowerGroup.