Components of an Information Technology Cover Letter

Have you recently begun your search for a job in the information technology industry only to find that you haven’t the faintest idea how to write an information technology cover letter in order to secure that job? Every year, thousands of fresh job applicants start searching enthusiastically for jobs, only to hit a snag very early on when they realize that they are completely unfamiliar with the process of writing an adequate information technology cover letter.

What is a Cover Letter?

A good place to start is with the question, ‘What is a cover letter?’ A cover letter acts as the cover page for a resume, providing the introduction to the person sending in the resume and a quick summary of important information that the person reading the resume might need to know in order to make a hiring decision. The importance of the cover letter cannot be overstated;  it is not unheard of for people to be hired based solely on the strength of their cover letter, which sufficiently impressed their interviewer that they did not even have to go through an interview before landing the job.

In the light of the slow recovery from the economic downturn and unemployment rates still high, the importance of a powerful information technology cover letter cannot be underestimated. Information technology is a particularly competitive industry, with many talented individuals competing for the most coveted jobs in the industry. If you are applying for the more popular jobs in the information technology sector, then you definitely require a cover letter that will impress your interviewer.

Breakdown of an Information Technology Cover Letter

After entering the necessary information such as your address and the address of the company you are applying to, the first paragraph of your information technology cover letter should address issues such as the exact position that you are applying for in the company and the reasons why you are applying for that particular position. As this is the very first paragraph of your information technology cover letter, it is important that you take a lot of care when writing this section. Take the time to craft an opening paragraph that will perk the interest of anyone reading your resume. A great way to get your interviewer interested in the rest of your resume is to include some of your relevant qualifications in this section.

Often, a job advertisement will say something about the position being advertised and what that position in that particular company will entail. The second paragraph of your cover letter is therefore a good place to deal with this and to relate your qualifications and your experiences directly to what your potential employer is looking for. When it comes to this section, there is nothing better than using some concrete examples taken from your previous work experience or even from your life in general.

The final paragraph should include the manner in which you might be contacted and of course, some mention of how you look forward to meeting the person reading your resume at your interview.

Check Out the CareerRush Information Technology Cover Letter Example

Information Technology Cover Letter Example And Writing Tips

The key to writing an effective cover letter is specificity. You need your cover letter to be specific to the industry and position that you are applying for; otherwise you will become just another one of the crowd sending in their resume with no clear idea of what they want. If the person reading your vague cover letter gets the impression that you are undecided about what you want, he or she is going to doubt whether granting you an interview would even be worth the while. Chances are, your resume will end up in the discarded pile with so many others that did not pique their interest.

Specificity is doubly important when you write your cover letter because, as the name suggest, the cover letter is in fact on the cover of your resume and will be one of the very first things that your interviewer reads when they pick up your resume. If, on reading your cover letter, your interviewer finds that it conveys a true desire to work in the information technology industry and even better, that your personal objective is to work in a position exactly like the one that needs to be filled, then you can bet that your interviewer will take the time to read the rest of your resume.

Where To Look For Information Technology Cover Letter Examples

A great way to improve on your information technology resume or get a start on it if you have no idea where to begin is to find a good information technology cover letter example. There are many of such examples to be found from sources such as books on resume writing and online. The internet remains the most accessible and largest resource at your disposal if you are looking for information technology cover letter examples.

Examples such as the one available on the CareerRush website are an excellent way to shore up a cover letter that you feel is lacking or to get you started on the template and form of an information technology cover letter if you have no idea where to begin.

Using Industry-Specific Terms To Your Advantage

Another facet of writing an information technology cover letter that is commonly overlooked is the sheer importance of using industry-specific keywords and terms. Industry-specific terms are words and terms that a person would commonly label as being ‘technical jargon’. In other words, they are terms that you would only use if you were involved in the particular industry in question.

The reasons why you should make use of industry-specific key terms are relatively straightforward. The first, and most important, reason is that interviewers are looking for the most suitable person to fill the position they are interviewing for and nothing shows your suitability better than achievements or qualifications that include industry-specific keywords in their titles. With regard to the information technology industry, instead of writing perhaps that you were a ‘department manager’, you should be specific about the department that you managed, and write ‘server farm troubleshooting team manager’. This is a sure way to get yourself noticed much more quickly and will help you stand a better chance of landing that job you want.

See the CareerRush Information Technology Cover Letter Example