To start your cover letter, provide the hiring manager with your contact information at the top left of the page. Include your phone number and professional social media links, like your LinkedIn profile. This way, the recruiter can review additional information about your career and contact you to schedule an interview.
Next, include a formal salutation to address the employer. Look for their surname in the job posting and address them as “Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. Surname.” This shows the recruiter you took the time to customize your cover letter and is better than using a generic salutation, such as “Dear Hiring Manager.”
Once you have the proper greeting, proceed with writing the rest of your cover letter. Here is an explanation of what you should include in each of the paragraphs of your lab technician cover letter:
First paragraph: Introduce yourself with a hook and list your best achievements The first paragraph is what will give your potential employer a good or bad first impression of you. Using an exciting hook that quickly informs the hiring manager why you are a valid candidate will prompt them to keep reading to find out more about you.
In the sample cover letter, the applicant states that she has four years of experience and that the quality control rating of the department she was in charge of continuously increased. Stating her experience in this manner will catch the recruiter’s attention prompting them to continue reading the rest of the cover letter.
Second paragraph: Give more information about how you’re the best fit for the job The second paragraph of your cover letter will hold the most information and you should think of it as the main body of your letter. If you are stuck on what to write about in this paragraph, refer to the job description and see which skills they are specifically looking for. If you have those skills, speaking about them and giving evidence that you have them in your cover letter will impress the potential employer.
In the example, the candidate notes that she is familiar with lab equipment and medical procedures, which are highly desirable skills noted in the job description.
Third paragraph: Call to action You need to finish your letter off as strongly as you started it and using your final paragraph as a call to action is the perfect way to do this. Using a call to action, you will subtly persuade the hiring manager to reach out to you and offer you a job interview. In the example, the applicant simply states that she looks forward to discussing the opportunity further.
Finally, you must sign off your letter with a professional salutation. “Best regards” or “Sincerely” are two formal and polite choices.
