How to Craft a Better Accountant Cover Letter

How to Craft a Better Accountant Cover LetterHow to Craft a Better Accountant Cover LetterIn an age of LinkedIn, online job boards and applying for positions by smartphone, do accounting professionals totenstill need to go that extra step and write a titelblatt letter? Yes While it may not be as indispensable as it used to be, a well-written accountant cover letter still plays an important role in getting your foot in the door.A good cover letter catches the attention of hiring managers and entices them to take a closer look at your accounting resume. Its also an opportunity for you to go beyond your skill set and make a personal case for how you can be of value to their organization.Whats more, the letter offers a glimpse into your personality and shows initiative. After all, crafting an optional document takes work, and going the extra mile on your application demonstrates your eagerness to do more than just the minimum.Tips to perfect an accountant cover letterNow that weve establ ished that including an accountant cover letter with your resume is a good idea, you should keep this advice in mind for how to write something impactful that will help you land an interviewShort is sweet. The barrage of information coming at all of us today has created attention spans that are shorter than ever before. The world of resumes is no exception. Online recruitment platforms mean hiring managers are often inundated with applications. So economy of words matters. Aim to write about three concise paragraphs instead of trying to rehash your resume. Keep it to one page, maximum. All a good cover letter needs to do is complement your accounting resume.Keep it mobile friendly. A hiring manager could peruse applications on any device. Make aya your accounting cover letter can be read easily, both on a smartphone and in print. To ensure your letter is mobile-friendly, keep the length at around 150 to 200 words so the reader wont have to scroll too much. If the job posting says yo u should email your documents to the hiring manager, its a good idea to both paste it into the main body as well as send it as a PDF attachment.Make it unique. Ho-hum, generic cover letters wont make the sale for you. Write a new letter for each position. Start by customizing it with the company name and the specific opening youre applying for. Analyze the job posting to see which of your skills and experience to highlight, and find ways to show you can meet the employers specific needs. For example, if the posting emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of Statutory Accounting Principles (SAP), your letter should mention how youve used the system to develop high-level analyses to support decision-making processes.Show your personality. The best cover letters exhibit passion and ambition. Why do you want to work at this company? Why are you best suited for the role? How can you add value to the business? Put the answers in your own words.Check your work. Make sure whatever you writ e is correct, which indicates you are a stickler for detail and have done your research. Include your most impressive skills and experience from your resume. Also look for typos. Before you click send or apply, double- and triple-proof your cover letter, and consider having someone you know read through it, too.Include a call to action. The whole point of a cover letter is to engage prospective employers and encourage them to learn more about you. Close the letter by reiterating your enthusiasm for the position and requesting that they get in touch with you. End with a courteous sign-off and a thank you. Make sure your contact information is clear so the employer can reach you.Before you send the perfect cover letter, work with our recruiters to find your ideal job in accounting and finance.Things to avoid with your cover letterIn case you could use more tips or reminders, heres a list of donts as youre writing cover letters.Dont think of your accountant cover letter as an afterthou ght. Its usually the first thing an employer will see.Dont write what looks like a canned letter. Personalize it.Dont use outdated contact information.Dont duplicate your resume in your accountant cover letter. This is an opportunity to make a connection and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role.Dont be too wordy or lose focus.Dont point out the gaps in your skills or experience.Dont use poor grammar or miss any spelling errors.Dont use company jargon. Stick to terminology that is known and understood at an industry level.Dealing with online systemsOne more thing The vast majority of companies today use an applicant tracking system (ATS), either a job boards or their own. This means job seekers face multiple screens of questions and many fields to fill in, which can make the process frustrating, if not confusing. Here are some tips regarding what to do with your accounting cover letter onlineRead the instructions. Some tracking systems have text boxes for pasting in your cover le tter, while others want you to upload or email it. Follow the employers precise instructions, or your application may be rejected outright.Use the resume field. You often can upload more than one document. If you dont see a place for a cover letter, go ahead and add it after your resume.Look for blank text fields. Many tracking systems have fields that allow you to include additional information. Here is where your accountant cover letter can go if theres nowhere else for it.schmelzglas it directly. If the employers ATS doesnt allow you to upload or paste in a cover letter, do a little investigative work. Call the company and get the name and email of the person or persons reviewing applications, and email your letter directly.Highly skilled accountants may be in great demand, but they still have to make a good impression when applying for positions. When you take the time to craft a compelling cover letter for each job opening, you increase your chances that much more of making it to the next stage. Tags