4 Cover Letter Tips for the Unemployed

4 Cover Letter Tips for the Unemployed 4 Cover Letter Tips for the Unemployed A period of unemployment might be a bump on your career path, but it need not define you. Start the journey to a fabulous new position with a cover letter that generates excitement rather than laments your situation. Try the following four cover letter tips for the unemployed  to  successfully write about your unemployment in a cover letter! Here are four cover letter tips for the unemployed: 1. Concentrate on how you fit with the company instead. According to career coach Lavie Margolin, author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers, there is no need to emphasize unemployment on the cover letter. “Just like any opportunity, when one is working or not working, focus on the needs of the employer in a cover letter. It should speak to relevant experience (current, or in this case, past) to the job for which you are applying as well as tell why you are passionately interested in the position.” 2. Avoid a long explanation. Don’t waste valuable space dwelling on the particulars of your unemployment. Supply potential employers with what they need to know, and move on to impressing them with what you can offer. Marcelle Yeager, president of Career Valet, recommends transparency but says that you do not need to give all the details. “Provide enough information to explain your state of unemployment. If you left a job because it wasnt a good fit anymore, you should relay this in positive terms (e.g., you are fully committed to making a career change and/or move to X organization and why this makes sense for that company in terms of  your background and their goals). If you were laid off, its okay to say why if it was due to company restructuring. If it was a result of personal issues, you should be more careful and concentrate on where youre trying to go next.” Giving too much information also can unintentionally dig a hole. For instance, stating that you had to move away from your previous job in order to take care of a loved one might raise concerns about divided attentions or stress levels. A safer, but still accurate, statement would be that you moved to be closer to family. 3. Don’t show bitterness. Bad-mouth past employers or coworkers and you’ll definitely make hiring managers wonder how you contributed to your unemployment situation. Companies want positive people who get along well with others and make the best of any situation. Refrain from negativity. 4. Demonstrate good use of time. Lastly, build a reputation as a productive go-getter. Energy attracts attention. “In terms of unemployment, address how you are currently engaged in an active full-time job search and what you are doing to improve your skills in the meanwhile, such as participating in online training or doing consulting,” Margolin says. Talk about mastery of a new skill or how volunteer experiences increased your leadership abilities. You’ll have prospective employers eager to put an end to your unemployment! Looking for more cover letter tips? Check out the cover letter tips section on the blog! Readers, what cover letter tips for the unemployed do you have? What are your thoughts on addressing an employment gap? Share with us below!