Want to stand out from the travel nursing competition? A well-written cover letter makes you attractive to your potential employer and entices him or her to review your resume. This can put you "ahead of the pack" and help you land the job you're after.

Follow these tips to write a successful travel nursing cover letter:

• Get to the point. Your cover letter should be compelling and concise—keep it to one page. It should effectively make the case to your potential employer as to why you are the best candidate for the job.
• List benefits, not features. Your potential employer wants to know, "What can YOU do for ME?" Think of a cover letter as a sales brochure, and you are the product. In other words, don't just tell the employer what you have done; let him or her know what you have the potential to do and how this can benefit the facility.
• Personalize each cover letter. You'll want to customize your cover letter for each job to which you apply. Visit the website of the facility to which you're applying, review the facility's mission and vision statements and read through the job description carefully. How can the facility benefit from your skill set?

• Address your cover letter to someone specific. If you can avoid it, do not address your letter "to whom it may concern." (Your travel nurse recruiter will be able to tell you the name of the person who will be reviewing your cover letter and resume).
• Tell a story. Nothing compels readers quite like a personal story. Use your creativity to craft a brief story (no longer than one paragraph) that outlines a pertinent topic, such as why you went to nursing school, or what a nursing career means to you. It will give your cover letter a personal touch and let the employer take a sneak peek into your character.
• Use key words. Search for similar positions on job databases. Are certain words commonly used? Pepper these into your cover letter.
• Review, review, review. To illustrate your professionalism and attention to detail, make sure your cover letter is grammatically correct and has no spelling errors. Read it forward and backward, and ask a friend or family member to review it as well.

By following these steps, you'll be able to write a cover letter that puts you ahead of the competition. Remember, you want your cover letter to make you stand out from a stack of other resumes.

Need help writing your travel nursing cover letter?

At Health Providers Choice, our recruiters want you to succeed. We can provide you with assistance in writing a winning cover letter that perfectly fits the travel nursing job to which you're applying. Contact a recruiter today to learn more.