Cover Letter help

[squirrely]

for those who hire... is it acceptable to for me to send a cover letter that says " PLEASE GIVE ME THIS JOB I WILL WORK SUUUUUPER HARD!!!!!!!"?

I kid. Kind of.

Anyone have any good advice for writing one? Any things I definitely should/should not include?

[squirrely]

I should add that I know in general it is supposed to be my chance to explain why I am a good fit for the job, but I'm just wondering if there are ways to make mine stand out in a good way... and to make sure it doesn't stand out in a bad way.

[Deleted]

I would keep the information basic and short. Highlight the important information but don't repeat your entire resume. Check it 10x for typos and grammar errors.

I never read cover letters that are an entire page.

[squirrely]

Thanks for the reply- good call on the reminder to keep my statements short and sweet will likely be my biggest challenge- I can easily ramble.

[Deleted]

Cover letters don't really matter that much.

[squirrely]

It is if it's a requirement of the job post! But you're probably correct. I just don't want it to hurt my chances- I'm way too excited about this job.

[drloretta]

CLs are 3 basic parts:

1. What job you're applying for and how you found out about it. If you have an "in", mention that person in this section
2. Why you are a good fit for the position. Include highlights from your resume that show specifically how you're a good fit. Don't regurgitate the whole resume
3. A closing section reiterating your interest and giving contact information so they can reach you

I'm in a science field so the CLs I see tend to be a little dry, but I've seen some that are jazzier for more creative fields that can be pretty cool.