Writing Your Way to Odesk Success
One of the things that a newbie Odesk Provider might be stressing on is how to write those cover letters. You may be wondering what to say and what not to say. Although Odesk always provides a sample cover letter each time you apply to a job (it’s below the cover letter text box), you are still always in doubt if the cover letter you have just written will help you catch the buyers attention or scare him off. Admittedly, these cover letters can make or break one’s online freelance career.
To help you writing those first few cover letters, I will try to share with you how I write some of mine. I am not claiming that all my cover letters successfully drew the attention of the buyers I’ve applied to. In fact, I have had some job applications that were ignored, and I would just receive those dreaded updates saying that the buyer "Chose another provider." As someone also fairly new to Odesk, I have written many cover letters as I had to applied to many jobs. But we’ll focus on the quality of those ones I wrote for jobs that I got hired for.
Formal Vs. Casual
First thing you have to remember is that potential buyers vary greatly in how they communicate. If you will notice while you do your job searches, the details posted by buyers range from very professional, detailed instructions to the very informal, vaguely-written requirements. As such, you will definitely need to take note that very professional buyers will also expect the same level of professionalism from potential providers. If the buyer appears to be informal, you can be informal as well, writing your letter in a casual tone that may appeal more to him, but still remembering to be polite.
Communication is Key
Your cover letter will be a preview of how you can communicate with your buyer. Do not just check for spelling or grammatical errors. Be sure that everything you’ve written can be easily understood and makes good sense. Communication is extremely important when you work together, and you would want that what you have written will always convey your exact thoughts.
Be Relevant
If the buyer posted certain requirements or any questions in the job description, address all of those in your cover letter. This will give a good impression that you have certainly read through the buyer’s posted job and are serious about taking on this assignment. Highlight your work experience and expertise that are relevant for the project. There’s no need to list down everything you’ve done, just those which you think are the best and will showcase your skills.
Letting Your Personality Shine Through
Yes, you are your own person. You have spunk, you’re cool and funny. But you’re wondering if you should reflect this on your cover letter? I would say that, just to be safe, during the application process you remain conservative in your language, sound interested in the job but hold that overflowing excitement in check. You will have all the time in the world to let your personality shine through once you get hired. What you can allow to be seen though is your confidence that you can do the job well, that the buyer can trust and depend on you, and that you will do what more than what is needed to fulfill the buyer’s needs.
Short and Sweet
Except if you are the first applicant, your buyer will most likely be going through several applications. Respect the buyer’s time and make it short yet concise. You also wouldn’t want to bore the buyer with a lengthy cover letter, would you?
How The Buyer Will Contact You
Automatically, Odesk will provide the email address you are using in your account to your prospective buyer. Once you are invited for an interview, you may then provide the buyer with additional info on how to reach you. Remember that including your chat ID in the cover letter is against Odesk policies, partly to protect you from unscrupulous buyers and partly, I think, to protect them from providers and buyers going outside their system. So remember, only provide your Messenger ID or Skype ID once the buyer invites you to an interview.
As an example, you can find below an example of a cover letter. It is neither the best nor the perfect cover letter, that judgement is reserved for the buyer and will all be relative to the job at hand. You can use this as a guide if you are having difficulty in writing your first one. You can also use this for other work at home jobs you need to apply to. I encourage you to edit your letter each time you apply to a job, so that it will not be generic across the many cover letters you would have to write.
Good day!
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