As a COBOL developer ready to advance your career, crafting the perfect cover letter can be a tough hurdle. You've polished your resume, but now you're realizing that a standout cover letter is a must. It shouldn't be a resume rerun, but instead a captivating narrative about your proudest professional triumph. Striking the right balance of formality without falling into clichés, and keeping it to one page, can seem daunting. Let's unlock the secrets to writing a cover letter that gets noticed.
- Personalize the greeting to address the recruiter and your introduction that fits the role;
- Follow good examples for individual roles and industries from job-winning cover letters;
- Decide on your most noteworthy achievement to stand out;
- Format, download, and submit your cobol developer cover letter, following the best HR practices.
Use the power of Enhancv's AI: drag and drop your cobol developer resume, which will swiftly be converted into your job-winning cover letter.
If the cobol developer isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Cobol developer cover letter example
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- Emphasizing Relevant Experience: The cover letter highlights the candidate's role as Lead Mainframe Developer, showcasing hands-on experience with legacy systems which is directly relevant to the senior COBOL developer position.
- Demonstrating Measurable Achievements: The mention of a "40% increase in processing speed" as a result of the candidate’s work provides a solid, quantifiable accomplishment, making the candidate's past contributions concrete and credible.
- Expressing Alignment with Company Values: The applicant expresses admiration for the company’s approach to technology, indicating a personal and professional alignment with the company's mission and values, which helps in establishing a cultural fit.
- Future-Oriented Mindset: The candidate communicates eagerness to contribute to ongoing and future projects, suggesting a forward-thinking and growth-oriented mentality that is essential for driving technological advancement within the company.
What should your cobol developer cover letter look like - formatting and organizing your information
Have you ever wondered what are the must-have sections you need to include in your cobol developer cover letter? Our builder sets those up for you with:
- Header - dedicated to your contact information, the role you're applying for, and the date (don't forget to include your name);
- Greeting and opening paragraph - to create a personalized and memorable experience for recruiters;
- Body paragraph - emphasizing your skill set and knowledge that aligns with the role and helps you to stand out;
- Closing paragraph - leaving a great impression and ending with an optional signature.
Use a cover letter template to discover the best formatting for your cobol developer cover letter: that is single-spaced paragraphs and wrapping your content in a one-inch margin.
Ensure that both your resume and cobol developer cover letter are in the same font. Stand apart from the crowd by using modern, yet simple fonts, like Chivo and Rubik, instead of the overused Arial and Times New Roman.
Did you know that the Applicant Tracker System (or ATS) won't be assessing your cobol developer cover letter? Instead, submit your profile in PDF to recruiters to keep the same formatting and the design intact.
The top sections on a cobol developer cover letter
- Header: Include your contact information and the date, which is essential for the recruiter to know who you are and how to reach you. It also adds a level of professionalism to your cover letter.
- Greeting: Address the recruiter or hiring manager by name if possible, as it shows you've done your research and are serious about the position as a COBOL developer.
- Introduction: Clearly state the COBOL developer position you're applying for and how you discovered the opportunity, establishing the relevance of your application from the outset.
- Professional Experience and Skills: Highlight your experience with legacy systems, proficiency in COBOL, and any other relevant technical skills or projects that demonstrate your capability to handle the specific requirements of the COBOL developer role.
- Closing and Call-to-Action: End with a strong closing statement that reiterates your interest in the position, and invite the recruiter to contact you for an interview, making it clear you are eager and ready to discuss how you can contribute as a COBOL developer.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Proficiency in COBOL Language: Demonstrates the technical skill necessary to write, debug, and maintain COBOL code, which is critical for legacy systems in industries like banking, insurance, and government services.
- Experience with Mainframe Systems: Shows familiarity with the environments where COBOL applications often run, including understanding of JCL, CICS, DB2, and other mainframe tools and operating systems.
- Knowledge of Legacy System Integration: Highlights the ability to integrate COBOL programs with modern applications and infrastructures, ensuring that valuable older systems continue to provide value.
- Strong Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Essential for understanding complex business logic embedded in COBOL code and for crafting solutions that meet current business needs.
- Detail-Oriented Approach: COBOL code often runs critical processes where precision is necessary; attention to detail ensures robust and error-free applications.
- Experience with COBOL Modernization: Demonstrates the ability to update and refactor existing COBOL codebases to improve performance and maintainability, which is important for extending the life of legacy systems.
How to address hiring managers in your cobol developer cover letter greeting
Goodbye, "Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom it may concern!"
The salutation of your cobol developer cover letter is how you kick off your professional communication with the hiring managers.
And you want it to start off a bit more personalized and tailored, to catch the recruiters' attention.
Take the time to find out who's recruiting for the role (via LinkedIn or the company page).
If you have previously chatted or emailed the hiring managers, address them on a first or last name basis.
The alternative is a "Dear HR team" or "Dear Hiring Manger", but remember that a "Dear Ms. Simmons" or "Dear Simon," could get you farther ahead than an impersonal greeting.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Recruitment Team,
- Dear [Mr./Ms. Last Name],
- Dear [Job Title] Search Committee,
- Dear [Department Name] Team,
- Dear [Mr./Ms. Last Name] and Team,
Your cobol developer cover letter introduction and the value you bring
Moving on from the "Dear Recruiter" to your professional introduction.
Use those first two sentences of your cobol developer cover letter to present the biggest asset you'd bring to the organization.
Don't go into too much detail about your achievement or the skill set, but instead - go straight for the win.
That is - what is your value as a professional?
Would you be able to build stronger, professional relationships in any type of communication? Or, potentially, integrate seamlessly into the team?
What to write in the body of your cobol developer cover letter
Now that you've got your intro covered, here comes the heart and soul of your cobol developer cover letter.
It's time to write the middle or body paragraphs. This is the space where you talk about your relevant talent in terms of hard skills (or technologies) and soft (or people and communication) skills.
Keep in mind that the cover letter has a different purpose from your cobol developer resume.
Yes, you still have to be able to show recruiters what makes your experience unique (and applicable) to the role.
But, instead of just listing skills, aim to tell a story of your one, greatest accomplishment.
Select your achievement that:
- covers job-crucial skills;
- can be measured with tangible metrics;
- shows you in the best light.
Use the next three to six paragraphs to detail what this success has taught you, and also to sell your profile.
Finishing off your cobol developer cover letter with what matters most
So far, you've done a fantastic job in tailoring your cobol developer cover letter for the role and recruiter.
Your final opportunity to make a good impression is your closing paragraph.
And, no, a "Sincerely yours" just won't do, as it sounds too vague and impersonal.
End your cobol developer cover letter with the future in mind.
So, if you get this opportunity, what do you plan to achieve? Be as specific, as possible, of what value you'd bring to the organization.
You could also thank recruiters for their interest in your profile and prompt for follow-up actions (and organizing your first interview).
Is it beneficial to mention that you have no experience in your cobol developer cover letter?
Lacking professional experience isn't the end of the world for your cobol developer cover letter.
Just be honest that you may not have had roles in the industry, but bring about so much more.
Like, your transferable skills, attained thanks to your whole work and life experience (e.g. the skills your summer spent working abroad taught you).
Or, focus on what makes you, you, and that one past success that can help you stand out and impress recruiters (think of awards you've attained and how they've helped you become a better professional).
Alternatively, write about your passion and drive to land the job and the unique skill set you would bring to enhance the workplace culture.
Key takeaways
Winning recruiters over shouldn't be difficult if you use your cobol developer cover letter to tell a story that:
- Is personalized by greeting your readers and focusing on key job skills greets;
- Isn't spread all over the place, but instead focuses on one key achievement and selling your value as a professional;
- Introduces your enthusiasm for the role, passion for the job, or creativity in communication;
- Is also visually appealing - meeting the best HR practices;
- Ends with a nod to the future and how you envision your growth, as part of the company.
