{"id":517,"date":"2021-06-28T18:16:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T11:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/verbalizenow.com\/?p=517"},"modified":"2021-06-21T18:22:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T11:22:15","slug":"business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/verbalizenow.com\/en\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"Business English Basics: How to Write a Winning Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The cover letter is a fundamental part of the job application experience. In fact, we\u2019re so used to the idea of submitting a cover letter with our resume that we might even take it for granted. Even if a job posting doesn\u2019t require a cover letter, it\u2019s still wise to include one. Cover letters give you a chance to highlight your strengths and give explanations for some of the weaknesses. This simple fact makes them a professional business English skill that you need to master if you\u2019re looking to get hired in 2021. In addition, it\u2019s a great way to make a good first impression and show off your business Engish mastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A cover letter should be <a href=\"https:\/\/resumegenius.com\/blog\/cover-letter-help\/cover-letter-tips\">easy to read and professional-looking<\/a>. This means no fancy fonts! Typically, times new roman or arial are safe bets, set in 12 point font. Save your creativity for your resume: cover letters are expected to be conservative in nature. A plain, boring Word document is actually ideal in this case. In addition, the tone of the cover letter is generally expected to be formal, meaning you should address the reader as \u201cMr.\u201d or \u201cMrs.\u201d and use respectful business English phrases. Oh, and this goes without saying, but double and triple check your cover letter for spelling and grammar mistakes. Nothing says \u201cI don\u2019t care\u201d like a bunch of typos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who To Address It To<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The days of addressing a cover letter to \u201cDear sir or madam\u201d are over! Do some research and find out the name of the hiring manager if you can. LinkedIn can be very useful in this regard. If <a href=\"https:\/\/www.themuse.com\/advice\/the-3-rules-of-addressing-your-cover-letter\">you\u2019re willing to put in the research<\/a>, it will show the hiring manager that you\u2019re a proactive worker who\u2019s capable of finding your own solutions. If you\u2019re totally unable to find their name, addressing the letter to \u201cDear Hiring Professional\u201d is a safe choice. However, in general, it\u2019s good to be as specific as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What to Include, and What Not To<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you\u2019ve never sold anything, a cover letter is your chance to sell yourself. If you want to break into a new career but have limited experience, your cover letter is your opportunity to explain why you\u2019re qualified. Recruiters typically see gaps in employment history as potential red flags, so from a more practical standpoint, cover letters can help you explain gaps in your resume. Just be honest, and of course, be positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Power of Positivity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be positive about your achievements, and be positive about the negatives too. Don\u2019t complain about previous employers, even if it\u2019s tempting! Always frame the negative experiences from your career in a positive light: surely, you learned something valuable from the tough times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of what we mean by framing things in a positive light: let\u2019s say you spent two years at a company you hated. You were given zero support from management and were expected to figure everything out on your own. This can be stressful, but an experience like this can be constructive. After all, you demonstrated sef-sufficiency and the ability to manage yourself. Focus on that rather than the negativity, even if the negativity is all you remember. This rule goes for interviews too. No employer bashing! Not only will it not affect your former employer, it won\u2019t do anything to help you in an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Verbalize Now is the online business English school that can take your career to the next level. If you\u2019re a professional who has got the skills to succeed but aren\u2019t feeling confident about your English, we can help. Our personalized lessons and positive, encouraging online business English classes will give you the confidence you need to start interviewing with English-speaking companies. <a href=\"https:\/\/verbalizenow.com\/en\/\">Contact us<\/a> if you\u2019re ready to start your journey to a better career.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The cover letter is a fundamental part of the job application experience. In fact, we\u2019re so used to the idea of submitting a cover letter with our resume that we might even take it for granted. Even if a job posting doesn\u2019t require a cover letter, it\u2019s still wise to include one. Cover letters give [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Business English Basics: How to Write a Winning Cover Letter - Verbalize Now<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/verbalizenow.com\/en\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business English Basics: How to Write a Winning Cover Letter - Verbalize Now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The cover letter is a fundamental part of the job application experience. 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Cover letters give [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/verbalizenow.com\/en\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Verbalize Now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-28T11:16:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/verbalizenow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/patrick-fore-0gkw_9fy0eQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Mason\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Mason\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ryan Mason\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3357d977fccda8358844346d0c4621d2\"},\"headline\":\"Business English Basics: How to Write a Winning Cover Letter\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-28T11:16:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":664,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/06\\\/patrick-fore-0gkw_9fy0eQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"English\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/verbalizenow.com\\\/business-english-basics-how-to-write-a-winning-cover-letter\\\/\",\"name\":\"Business English Basics: How to Write a Winning Cover Letter - 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