Cover Letter
Cover Letters - That Get Results
In today's electronic age, of job boards, and online applications its easy to forget common courtesy. Your cover letter and resume go hand in hand in representing you as a qualified desirable candidate. For this reason its important to present your cover letter as professionally as your resume.
Cover letter basics include:
Length
- One A4 page, well spaced.
Language
- Be sure to make your letter clear and concise. Use strong verbs which demonstrate action and accomplishments, such as "organise" and "supervise".
Name, Title and Address
- Always write to a named individual, check and double check the spelling. Find out the details of the contact person (including all spelling) in the organisation and address your letter accordingly. Don't forget to include your address, phone number and email.
Layout
- This includes an introduction and identification of the position. For example, commence with the reference number, followed by your reason for applying and a summary of your unique skills/qualifications.
Substance
- Identify your skills, experience and attributes that match what the employer wants. Look for keywords in the advertisement and address the main elements. For example the advertisement might say: "This position requires an outgoing person with demonstrated capacity to work in a team". The keywords here are "outgoing", "demonstrated" and "team". Show you meet these essential criteria to increase your chances of an interview.
Proofing
- Essentially you need to draw attention to you and away from others, but not by misspelling the company's name. Check grammar and spelling meticulously. Sloppy spelling will get your application straight onto the reject pile! Proofing is so important; you may even benefit from someone else double checking your cover letter for you.
Begin your letter with a to the point first paragraph
- "I am writing to introduce myself and to apply to the JOB TITLE position currently open within your company. Your organisations focus on (fill in a statement about its products, services and mission) is of interest to me, and a good fit for my career focus and background. Following is a summary of my qualifications as they pertain to your position requirements."
List three bullet points highlighting the most important / relevant aspects of your background
- For the main part of your cover letter, choose three pieces of information about you that are most relevant to the companies priorities, and highlight them with bullets. Often, you can determine its primary needs from the job ad, or based on your own knowledge of the position.
Conclude your letter with proposed next steps
- "I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you further about the JOB TITLE position and how I might benefit your organisation in this role. I will follow up with you to confirm receipt of these materials and to determine the next steps."
Final Words
- Keep it succinct
- Tailor each letter to suit the job
- Proof read very carefully!
