When you are looking for a job as a CNA, your resume is a vital marketing tool designed to showcase your qualifications and sell you as an individual. In the same way, your cover letter is written to one specific employer so that you can demonstrate exactly how you are the best person for that particular job.
Be prepared to invest some time and effort into writing a concise, compelling cover letter that allows your personality to show through. Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of the hiring manager. They have received an onslaught of dozens of resumes for this one position that they must fill. They need to weed through all of the applications they receive and try to pick the best person for the job.
Quick Tip: make sure you also check out our guide on how to write a compelling CNA resume.
Your job is to make the hiring manager’s job easier. Follow all of the directions in the job announcement to the letter. Just demonstrating that you are capable of following directions will separate you from those candidates that have sent in boilerplate letters and who did not follow the directions.
Here are five quick tips for preparing a CNA. resume cover letter:
1. Always customize each cover letter
Find out the name of the hiring manager and address the letter to that person. Find out some interesting facts about the organization and mention them in your letter. The hiring manager wants to get the idea that you are applying for this particular job rather than any job you can get hired to do.
2. Use your cover letter to share who YOU are
Make your cover letter stand out from the stack of other resume cover letters that the hiring manager will be sifting through. Share how much you love working with babies, or the elderly, or whatever aspect of nursing you are passionate about. This is your opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest of the applicants.
3. Do not simply rewrite your resume in the form of a letter
Keep your cover letter fresh and unique. Remember your goal is to make the hiring manager want to pick up the phone and schedule an interview with you. Add relevant facts about your work history, education and experience.
4. Expand on how your experience matches the qualifications for the position
Pull all of the qualifications from the job announcement and write about how your education, skills and experience makes you a perfect match in every way.
5. Have someone objective review & proofread your cover letter
It’s challenging to proofread your own writing with 100% accuracy. Have a fresh set of eyes review your cover letter and point out any typos or areas that do not make sense.
*Bonus Tip: Work with a career counselor if your CNA training program provides one, or consider investing in hiring a career coach to help you refine your resume and cover letters, which you can then customize and refine for each specific job you apply for.
The health care field is a highly competitive one. Each year CNA training programs crank out hundreds of thousands of trainees. The job of your resume cover letter is to show how special you are, what a good fit you are for that specific job, and how the hiring manager would be foolish not to bring you in for an interview.
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