Every cover letter should be unique. Recommending a specific form to follow for your cover letter would actually hurt your chances of getting a job – you don’t want your cover letter to sound like everyone else’s! What I do recommend is that you write every cover letter individually, targeting the specific needs of that particular job. You cannot edit your cover letter once it’s been submitted, so take the time to make it perfect before you apply!
While I can’t tell you exactly how to write the perfect cover letter, I can offer some basic guidelines about what to include (and what not to).
- Don’t include your contact information in your cover letter (your email address, chat ID, etc.). This is a violation of oDesk policy and makes you an easy target for an unscrupulous buyer. When you are invited to an interview, then you are free to share whatever contact info you wish.
- Don’t start with a “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir” greeting. Neither adds any value and they may even offend some buyers. If you do include a greeting, find a gender-neutral way to say hello or use the buyer’s name (if they’ve mentioned it).
- Don’t copy and paste the same cover letter over and over again, even if you ‘fill in the blanks’ with specifics for the job at hand. Just as you can tell when a buyer posts a template job description, a buyer can tell you’re using a form cover letter. If you don’t put in the effort to write a custom letter, they are unlikely to take the time to interview you.
- Do try to use the same keywords the buyer did. This shows you were paying attention to their job post.
- Do answer specific questions or include special keywords the buyer put in the job description to prove you can follow directions. That is, unless the buyer is asking for your contact info or otherwise violating oDesk policy – in that case you should flag the job as inappropriate.
- Do link directly to some relevant examples of your work whenever possible. Make sure you’ve added them in your portfolio as well.
- Do state your availability (when and how much you can work) and explain what kind of commitments you have to any other oDesk assignments, regular employers, etc.