When applying for a job, your cover letter gives you more room to impress a potential employer than your resume. There are several tips and strategies on how to craft the perfect resume in the corporate world, but what exactly do employers want to hear in a cover letter? Why do you need to write it in the first place?
Like any other letter, a cover letter also carries a tone and could influence the first impression the receiver may have about you. It is hence advised to use power words while writing it.
Power words, also known as action words, are specific words or phrases used to invoke a psychological and emotional response and retain the reader’s attention. They add persuasiveness to your words. They have the ability to level up your cover letter, and make it outstanding among other options.
Compiled from different articles and experts’ notes, below are some of the few tricks to make your cover letter outstanding with the use of power words.
To show why you are interested in the position and company; you could write, "after reading your mission statement, I am even more excited about this position because it aligns with my ideas/objectives/goals/dreams...”
To showcase your abilities; you could write, "last year, I was tasked with a few challenges. A few examples on how I overcame these obstacles include...”
To answer the ‘why should we choose you’ question, you may write, "If I am offered this position, I will be ready to contribute in...”
To show communication skills, that any employer is probably looking for, emphasize them by use of words like "negotiated,” "addressed,” "persuaded”, "encouraged,” etc. To emphasize writing skills, use words such as "authored,” "corresponded” and "publicized.”
If you’re applying for administrative and management jobs, choose words that describe your qualifications in a more meaningful way. Instead of, "I was in charge of” or "I was responsible for,” you can use words such as "I managed,” "I oversaw,” "I supervised” and "I administered.”
To describe research skills, you can use power words that highlight the work you did in a more lucrative way. Instead of saying, "I looked at data,” you can say "I examined,” "surveyed,” "investigated,” "analyzed,” "evaluated”, "systematized,” "inspected,” and "extracted.”
To best summarize your creative skills, you can use words such as "I introduced,” "designed,” "founded,” and "integrated.” For example, "I designed and implemented new strategies for marketing.” For technical skills, words like "assembled,” "programmed,” "calculated,” "engineered,” and "upgraded,” could be much better.
Moreover, in your cover letter, you can include words like achieved, improved, launched, resolved, mentored, volunteered, influenced, etc. The trick, however, is to avoid stuffing them in every other sentence, or you would risk coming across as fake or insincere.
It is better to stay genuine in your cover letter and use power words to highlight what makes you the best candidate. The best way is to choose words that are logical, concise and reader-friendly.
Bonus: Avoid additional phrases at the end of the cover letter that may make you come off as cocky and arrogant. For example, "I’m confident I’m the perfect person for the job,” or any similar phrase.