Students may desire to seek greener pastures (study and internship programs) in an overseas country. In order to capture such opportunities, writing a motivating cover letter is the only choice they have. The cover letter is the best strategy for the students to fully market themselves.
The cover letter for the student traveling abroad must adhere to the following techniques:
Communication of key purpose
Specificity is as important as writing the cover letter itself. Generally writing the cover letter will completely diminish its chances of being read. The specific reason as to why a student is traveling abroad should be clearly communicated. Is it for further studies in an institution of higher learning? Is the purpose undertaking research work that pertains to one’s studies? Is the student participating in an exchange program? All these issues need to be considered when writing the cover letter.
Projection of the student’s personality
Revelation of a student’s personality in the cover letter heightens its worth. Narrating a very short but relevant story that concerns the student makes the cover letter inspiring. It is a definite way of grabbing the attention of the person or institution the cover letter is addressed to.
An attractive mode of presentation
How the cover letter is presented greatly determines its effectiveness in conveying the intended purpose. The mode of presentation focuses on the following:
- Brevity
The length of the cover letter must be relatively short. It should not exceed three paragraphs. A lengthy cover letter cultivates boredom and it risks not being read. Communicating information in a brief manner eliminates chances of ambiguity and irrelevancy. The cover letter needs to say more about the student in just a few words and sentences.
- A professional impression
Professionalism in the cover letter is displayed by the level of organization. A good flow that encompasses coherence in expression of ideas actualizes organization. Similarly, quality formatting projects a professional impression. It should be easy to read the cover letter. Integrating the correct font and font size ensures the text is clear. Contact information is also a factor that spearheads professionalism. Ridiculously inserting contact information waters down the cover letter’s level of professionalism.
For instance, an email such as [email protected] is ridiculous and shows lack of seriousness. An official email works best for the cover letter.
Links to social networks
An effective way of writing the cover letter for a student traveling abroad is to indicate links to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts. The links allow the persons receiving a cover letter to get further information and understand the student in a better way.
Courtesy
One of the golden rules for writing a cover letter is to say thank you. The cover letter is meant to be looked at by certain intended persons. It is only fair to demonstrate courtesy as a way of appreciating them for taking time to read it.
In conclusion, writing a cover letter for a student traveling aboard is dictated by the country of destination. A few variations are likely to be evident when it comes to the outline to follow. Thus, prior research is inevitable regarding the requirements for writing the cover letter so as to be successful in the endeavor.
