Earning and having a high-paying job in a country like Nigeria to support yourself is an essential part of life nowadays. After the world has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic a great slum in the market has been recorded. The record inflation has decreased the quality of life even in developed countries. It is witnessed that companies in Nigeria usually do not respond to or reject the resume of candidates without giving any reason. 

Most companies in Nigeria have set the minimum requirement of education and experience so high that people cannot even apply for the job. In the current situation where people are desperate to get a good-paying job, we have designed a set of rules to write a cover letter in Nigeria to apply for the job. Hopefully, it will resolve the issue and will get you a job.

What You Need to Know About Cover Letter?

 A cover letter is a document that is submitted along with the resume or CV when the candidate is applying for a job. An appealing cover letter will convince the recruiting team that you are eligible for the job. The purpose of writing a cover letter is to give a summary of the candidate's professional, educational and personal background.

 The cover letter should be of minimum 200 to a maximum of 500 words. A considerable cover letter should be promising of excellence, should depict eagerness for the job role the candidate is applying for, and the choice of words should exhibit your educational background and contribute to the information provided on the attached resume or CV. The recruiting manager will go through the cover letter before the resume. 

A well-documented cover letter will help the candidate to compete with others. The four main steps kept in mind to writing a cover letter:

Analyze the job requirements

Never apply for the job blindly with the already designed general resume or CV. Always read the job advertisement properly and analyze the requirements of the job then alter your cover letter and resume accordingly. While reading the advertisement look for a job suitable to your education, skills, experiences and expertise.

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Gather information about the company

Candidates should have the up to date knowledge of the company they are applying for. Candidates should be aware of the facts and figures of the firm. It helps the candidate to convey the message of his seriousness indirectly to the recruiting manager.

Write important information

The general format of a cover letter does not fulfill every requirement. Every job has a different nature and requirements. So every cover letter will be tailored according to the requirements of the job.

Be precise and concise 

it becomes very difficult to go through thousands and thousands of job applications in a sitting. So the hiring team filters the applications based on the precision and conciseness of the document.

Check for grammatical and spelling mistakes 

Spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes express the carelessness and seriousness of the candidate. After completing the cover letter, always run it through a spell-checking process first then scan it through an app to check grammatical mistakes which are called Grammarly.  It is easily available online.

Following is the latest and far most updated cover letter format compiled to help the candidates to convince the employer to take a chance with them. A person can change it according to the job he or she is applying for.

The Head of Cover Letter

The head of the cover letter should include all the basic and introductory information about the candidate. The full name of the candidate and a working and permanent phone number which you will use throughout the process and would change later. Write a valid email address which is from a professional provider, it should include your name. Never send the email from your previous work email address. Mention the present date while writing the cover letter. Add the link address of your professional accounts like LinkedIn, Twitter, indeed or Skype.

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Addressing properly 

Address directly to the hiring manager with respectful greetings. Mention the name of the recruiting manager and their professional title if known either just write the name. Addressing someone with their name always catches their attention. It gives a feel like a document is being specifically prepared for this purpose. For example, address your recruiter  with the following:

Dear Miss Sarah,

Recruiting Manager.

Respected Ms Wales,

Dear Hiring Officer,

Read: How to Write a Resume in Nigeria

Summary 

Write the summary with precision, highlighting the skills and expertise related to the job candidate is applying for. Write if candidates have any educational background or diploma or training for job requirements.

Closing 

At the end of the cover letter express gratitude to the recruiting manager. Thank him for the opportunity created for the job and your keen interest in the position they are offering.