[hunter32]

Hey guys, I was hoping to get some advice on cover letters. How do you make them sound less “accountanty” and more personal. Basically, all the examples on google look awful and was looking for real input. Thanks!

BEC - 80 (Becker)
AUD - 92 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
FAR - 87 (Becker+NINJA MCQ)
REG - 90 (Becker+NINJA MCQ and Audio)

[MaLoTu]

When I write a cover letter I start with explaining some of my qualifications. Then I transition to some of the job description and how my experience or skills matches certain descriptions. I also add how my soft-skills will be a value to the position. Some people say to include a little about the company that interests you, but that gets hard for length reasons. If you can include some personal knowledge of the company try to tie it into a skill or experience you have.

The letter needs to be able to fit on one page, anything longer will be a bother for a recruiter to read. The actual CL may be a bother and it is very possible they don't read it at all. It is a crap shoot, but it is better to err on the side of caution and include one in case they do read it.

I hate writing cover letters, it is time consuming. The only way to really write a good one is to cater it to the actual job description and it is a lot of work. However, it is the difference between your relevant cover letter and the next guys canned submission.

Good Luck.

[Anonymous]

Here's some paraphrasing from mine. Take it with a grain of salt since it's from memory and not copied from my exact letter. “As a CPA with 8 years experience my skills and qualifications will make me an asset to ABC Corp”. A brief summary of experience without restating my resume. “I'm detail oriented and my boss tells clients he “can count on me to find details others have missed. One recent project involved converting financial statements to a new software process that will save 3 days of work for each cllient. I proofed the data, edited formatting, and ensured conformity to our firm's standards. I apply this same level of attention to detail to duties as visible as financial statements to daily duties such as making sure the printer does not run out of paper.” This is good to reference positive feedback from a manager and gives examples.

I'd found good examples and modified those to suit my job and situation. Then incorporated something as to why I wanted this particular job at that company. “Followed progress since the new ____ was launched”, would love to be a part of ABC Company, etc.

[Author]

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