Incorporating New Tech Skills in Your Cover Letter
Publié le 11 March 2024
Stand out to hiring managers in today’s job market by knowing the best methods for incorporating new tech skills in your cover letter.
Technology reigns supreme in today’s job market. If you’re hunting for new work or aiming to land your dream job, you must find a way to stand out. You can increase your chances of getting hired by writing an effective cover letter.
But it’s not just any kind of cover letter; you must pay close attention to your writing. You must highlight certain information, particularly on incorporating new tech skills in your cover letter, if you want to catch the employer’s attention.
What Are Tech Skills and Why Are They Important?
Tech skills fall under the hard skills category. They involve your computer skills and other technological expertise that you may have developed through education, training, or previous work experience.
From restaurants to factories, most, if not all, companies in different industries use technology in their daily operations. When they look for recruits, their job listings indicate what skill set they want the job seeker to possess.
“If you submit an application, you’ll compete with others with the same skills. You’ll have the edge over them if you have the tech know-how to showcase,” said Volodymyr Shchegel, VP of Engineering at Clario.
What Tech Skills Are Relevant?
Now that you know how important incorporating new tech skills in your cover letter can be, the next thing you should do is identify which ones are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
“You must understand the job description and check their preferred qualifications,” said Puneet Gogia, Co-Founder at Desk Mojo. “It’s also important to reflect on your experiences and accomplishments, including relevant courses you finished, workshops you attended, and certifications you received.”
Likewise, you must stay updated about the latest trends and advancements in the tech industry. With this information, you can present yourself as a forward thinker when you craft your cover letter.
Here are some tech skills that recruiters usually prefer in a candidate:
1. Social Media Management
Are you skilled at managing social media content? Do you know how to engage with users on different platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and the like?
If you answer yes, social media management is a tech skill you can add to your cover letter. Explain your experience on each platform and show what results you achieved. Be sure to include statistics and data that supports these achievements.
2. Tech Support
Do you have experience providing customer support through voice calls about technical problems?
For example, have you assisted someone who was having problems with their computer or software?
Demonstrating proficiency in learning tech and troubleshooting could make you a strong candidate for a position within the recruiter’s tech support team.
3. Project Management
Are you good at using complex tech tools and programs? Do you have experience in risk management assessments, planning, task delegation, and budgeting?
Do you know how to work with project management software? If yes, then you should add project management as one of your new tech skills.
“This skill is highly valued in many industries where projects can involve complex software development, data analysis, and other technical tasks,” said Andrew Pierce, CEO at LLC Attorney.
“Adding project management as a tech skill on your resume can help differentiate yourself from other candidates who may only have technical skills but lack the experience and expertise in managing projects.”
4. Graphic Design
If you’re skilled at creating images or editing photos, you can add graphic design to your list of hard tech skills. Of course, you should know how to work with HTML, Photoshop, and other similar software. Don’t forget to include a portfolio of your work so you can showcase your skills. This can be easily accomplished with a professional instagram account showcasing your graphic design skills.
5. Technical Writing
You can add technical writing to your skills if you’re well-versed in creating written technical content for clients, websites, or press releases.
“You should know how to communicate complex ideas in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. Be prepared to send samples when you apply,” per Jesse Hanson, Content Manager at Online Solitaire & World of Card Games.
6. Business Analytics
Organizations value data now more than ever. They collect and use it to understand customers’ wants, behavior, and current trends.
The information they gather helps them decide to improve their services, products, customer service, and the company. If you wish to include this as your tech skill, you must have a background in data mining, data analytics, SQL, and data management, to name a few.
7. Web Development
This tech skill means you know how to create a website from scratch. You should have a good grasp of how WordPress and similar hosting programs work and how to use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The demand for applicants with this skill is increasing, and it’s expected to continue over the coming years. If you can create a visually pleasing website that offers strong UX, effectively market products and remains secure, it will make your job candidacy very attractive to hiring managers.
How To Write Your Cover Letter?
Now that you have a good idea of what your tech skills are, it’s time to write your cover letter. It must highlight your technical know-how in a way that matches the job and company you’re applying to. You must also present a genuine interest in the position, and that means using a personalized approach.
“When listing your tech skills on your cover letter, add the ones relevant to the job you’re applying for first,” said Stephan Baldwin, Founder of Assisted Living. “Don’t make a list containing hundreds of skills; it’ll only overwhelm the reader, and the recruiter may eventually put your cover letter aside.
When incorporating new tech skills in your cover letter, choose only a few important skills and make sure that you can provide concrete examples illustrating their practical applications. Your cover letter must be cohesive, and the first paragraph must catch the recruiter’s attention.
Don’t forget, you should be able to back up everything in your cover letter. That means you can’t include anything you know you can’t do. Overselling, or outright fabricating, knowledge and experience would be a major mistake, and will seriously damage your reputation in the eyes of hiring managers.
Aside from highlighting your tech skills, you can add some soft skills. This is when you can mention your problem-solving abilities and your expertise in collaboration and communication.
Be sure to explain how your tech skills complement your soft skills and how they help you become an effective and reliable professional.
Final Thoughts
Today’s job market is extremely competitive, and that’s why you must find ways for your cover letter to stand out. Incorporating new tech skills in your cover letter is one way to gain an edge.
Of course, the tech skills you showcase must be relevant to the job you’re applying for. Your cover letter must have a striking first paragraph, and the rest of the content must be interesting and compelling enough for the recruiter to invite you for an interview. Don’t forget to include your achievements and real-life experiences to back up your claims.
Whether you’re a fresh graduate trying to find your first job or a veteran who wants to get a shot at your dream job, showcasing your tech ability can make all the difference. Happy job hunting!
