How to use your Cover Letter to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths

It can give the prospective employer insight into who you are as a person

, as well as why you want to work for their company. A very important aspect of this is that it can provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate what may be be perceived as weaknesses is quite the reverse. In fact it is all in the way that you explain it to the reader, you can easily turn around negatives into positives with some creative thinking. What do you have to do to ensure that this happens?

Concentrate on what makes you unique

If you don't have a lot of jobs to list on your resume/CV, but you do have relevant skills that you've acquired over the years, you can use your cover letter to explain what looks to be a lack of experience. A good way to start is to brainstorn skills that you have that are mentioned in the job description and try to think of lots more supplementary ones that aren't there but you think will be useful. This will impress the reader and automatically make them think that you are suitable for the job. Next you can use the cover letter to explain how those skills can enhance the company.

For example, you may be an expert typist capable of accurately typing 80 WPM, which is perfect for the data entry position you're interested in. The only drawback is that you didn't getyour expertise from your last 20 years as a housewife and part-time babysitter. Rather, you picked up this skill whilst doing your husband's accounts or volunteering at a local charity. This will impress them as it is showcasing your charitable nature. It will also elucidate how you attained those skills for the reader, and you will thus not be regarded as having a lack of office experience.

You can mention your hobbies too

There are a substantial amount of people who turn their hobbies into careers because of the vast quantity of knowledge base they have on a certain topic, indeed they can be very successful when they take this avenue. For example, you may love to write as a hobby which has very little to do with your job as a teacher.

You decide that you are interested in applying for a position with a small start-up company that needs an entry-level IT technician.As far as you are concerned you are perfect for the position, but you have no idea how you will go about proving this to an employer. That is, until you remember that you keep up with all of the technology, have taken some classes at a local college, and have years of experience fixing computers in your community. By explaining all of this in your cover letter, you have a chance to showcase the experience you've gained.

Keep Your Explanations Simple

While you want to use your cover letter to fill in gaps in your job history, you don't want the employer to spend too much time thinking about the possibility of you being a weak candidate. So instead of spending a lot of time clearing up why your skills and hobbies are stellar, it is a good idea to instead keep this part as brief as you would in any other cover letter. Another important point to rememeber is that you may find yourself going off target if you concentrate toomuch upon your interests and waffle a bit. Remember that this is a job application and you still have to remain professional at all times. Even though your employer may share your love of insects, it is not the times or place to wax lyrical about it. Always remain focused and you won't go too far wrong.

Just because you may have gaps in your employment history does not necessarily have to define your strengths as an employee. You should therefore try to use your cover letter to illustrate how good you would be for the job, if you are not convinced yourself then an employer won't be either. By brainstorming you will be surprised at how many new things that you come up with! Good luck.

How to use your Cover Letter to Turn Weaknesses into Strengths

By: cv4me

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