{"id":38823,"date":"2017-05-09T02:18:43","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T09:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=38823"},"modified":"2017-05-09T02:18:43","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T09:18:43","slug":"dear-sirmadam-write-winning-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/dear-sirmadam-write-winning-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear sir\/madam \u2014 how to write a winning cover letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In his wonderful collection of correspondence, Letters of Note<\/a>, editor Shaun Usher includes one from Robert Pirosh, a New York copywriter.<\/p>\n

Pirosh wanted a job as a screenwriter and in an attempt to secure such a post he composed what Usher describes as<\/a>:<\/p>\n

One of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written.<\/em><\/p>\n

Usher tells us that Pirosh\u2019s letter got him three interviews, \u201cone of which led to his job as a junior writer at MGM\u201d.<\/p>\n

Though letter writing is surely a lot less common now than in the past, writing across other genres continues to permeate contemporary professional, educational and personal lives. And it is certainly still the case that many companies will request a cover letter with a job application.<\/p>\n

But despite the fact that so many of us write, type, text or tweet \u2013 (sometimes incessantly) every day \u2013 few of us may feel that we write well. And fewer still would consider ourselves \u201cwriters\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you are confronted with a writing task, and you find yourself bamboozled or blocked, you need to draw on ideas, principles and strategies that can assist. And with this in mind, here are seven top writing tips below.<\/p>\n

Writers who are mindful of these seven tips should find that their writing is more effective and the writing process more enjoyable. And who knows it may even help you secure that dream job.<\/p>\n

1. Know your purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n

You need to know what it is you want to say and the effect you want your writing to have. You will, for example, write differently if you are applying for a job than if you are thanking your great aunt.<\/p>\n

When writing to secure an interview or to get shortlisted, you need to have at least two important purposes in mind. The first is to address the topic \u2013 this will mean including the necessary content of an effective cover letter<\/a>. Second, you should aim to convince the readers than you are the person that they most want to recruit.<\/p>\n

2. Name and know your audience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every audience, you dear reader included, brings expectations to a piece of text. The text works when expectations are met, or better still, exceeded. Similarly, writing fails when the reader is disappointed or worse yet, offended by the writing.<\/p>\n

Know your audience, and if you\u2019re writing to get a job, work out what it is that your potential employer wants<\/a> \u2013 then seek to exceed their expectations.<\/p>\n

3. Identify the genre<\/strong><\/p>\n

Different forms of writing have different rules and conventions. They may use different language and look differently on the page or on the screen. You need to know what is typical of a genre to be able to write well in that form or style.<\/p>\n

A formal cover letter as part of a job application will look and sound very different to a text from a pal after a night out. Do some research and find out what good models of the genre look and sound like.<\/p>\n

4. Revise<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is very rare that the polished work which professional writers produce has not been drafted, redrafted and revised through several iterations. You should do the same.
\n
\n5. Read it aloud<\/strong><\/p>\n

When we work with writers we always ask them to read aloud so that they can hear what they actually wrote and not what they thought they wrote. Often they stop themselves, mid-sentence, and say, \u201cyou know, that\u2019s not what I meant to say\u201d, at which point they start to reformulate their thinking and the articulation of their ideas.<\/p>\n

6. Share with someone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assuming you are writing for a reader (this may not always be the case) then it is a good idea to try out that writing on a willing volunteer before you submit a final draft. Ask your reader for a response and some feedback.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re lucky, they might even help you to formulate new ideas or ways of wording. The writing process then becomes a shared one \u2013 which can be both interesting and enthusing.<\/p>\n

7. Pause before you publish<\/strong><\/p>\n

These days, potentially any writing you give away, send out, or post online could go viral. If you aren\u2019t content to see it on the front of a national newspaper should you really tweet it?<\/p>\n

It can often feel risky to go public with your ideas \u2013 even as professional writers we feel that too. But the rewards can be extraordinary and the thrill of it all, exhilarating. So be courageous in your writing. Write authentically and with passion, but do make sure you give it a final once over before you hit the submit button.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Alison Farrell is Head of Maynooth University Writing Centre at the National University of Ireland Maynooth <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In his wonderful collection of correspondence, Letters of Note, editor Shaun Usher includes one from Robert Pirosh, a New York copywriter. Pirosh wanted a job as a screenwriter and in an attempt to secure such a post he composed what Usher describes as: One of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written. […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":38824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[92157],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-38823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-writing-a-cover-letter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDear sir\/madam \u2014 how to write a winning cover letter - World leading higher education information and services<\/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:\/\/world.edu\/dear-sirmadam-write-winning-cover-letter\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dear sir\/madam \u2014 how to write a winning cover letter - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In his wonderful collection of correspondence, Letters of Note, editor Shaun Usher includes one from Robert Pirosh, a New York copywriter. 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