How does a Cover Letter Differ from a Personal Statement
A personal mission statement and a cover letter have two different purposes, although they may possibly contain some of the same elements. The cover letter is to showcase your skills to your audience whether it be for a potential employer or organization. A personal mission statement is something that can be kept confidential and is for your personal benefit.
Cover letters are used to show interest in a specific position, opportunity or organization. In the cover letter you should introduce yourself, states why you are interested in the position and any information you may know about the specific organization. Included in the cover is also an explanation of why you are an appropriate candidate for the position. Cover letters can also be used to request information for open positions or opportunities. When writing a cover letter, you are showing the potential employer that you can communicate effectively through writing. The cover letter should make the person reading it interested in you and your skills.
A personal mission statement is a description of what is important in you, your values, your gifts and what you want to achieve. The personal statement is something that can be looked back on to remind yourself what you’re striving for in life, including your career. The personal mission statement can evolve; when you start to learn more about yourself and what you value, the mission statement can be modified. The personal mission statement should also motivate you and cause you act on what you have written.
The Ohio LiteracyResource Centergives instructions on how to write a personal mission statement and reasons why it is important to write one:
1. It forces you to think deeply about your life, clarify the purpose of your life, and identify what is really important to you.
2. It forces you to clarify and express succinctly your deepest values and aspirations.
3. It imprints your values and purposes firmly in your mind so they become a part of you rather than something you only think about occasionally.
4. Integrating your personal mission statement into your weekly planning gives you a way to keep your vision constantly before you.
A personal mission statement can help you differentiate what is important in your life. You may find out that some things may not be as important as you thought they were. Your values may affect what opportunities you choose. Writing your mission statement will probably help you to write your cover letter. You will know what skills you possess for the specific opportunity before you. One can go confidently into the future knowing what skills, attributes, and actions to take to seize or decline the next opportunity.
