How to write a cover letter
In the age of texting, Tweeting and Facebooking, the art of letter writing is getting lost. If you’re more used to messaging your friends ‘Y R U L8?’ than sending them long, grammatically correct emails then it can be easy to fall into bad habits.
However, a well-written cover letter offers you a chance to speak directly to a recruiter and explain your CV and the reasons you want the job. This is especially important with graduate jobs when you don’t have years of work experience to dazzle them with. Worried? Don’t be. A good cover letter is as easy as A, B, C… Well, ish.
However, a well-written cover letter offers you a chance to speak directly to a recruiter and explain your CV and the reasons you want the job. This is especially important with graduate jobs when you don’t have years of work experience to dazzle them with. Worried? Don’t be. A good cover letter is as easy as A, B, C… Well, ish.
Cover letter tips
If you’re applying via an email then paste your cover letter onto the email. This increases the chances of it getting read. Otherwise you’ll have to write an email as well and then attach a cover letter and CV – this starts to look like a lot of work for a recruiter. This does mean that it’s important not to waffle. A cover letter should not exceed more than one side of A4 (or around 400 words). It should also be well structured… Would you want to read one long continuous paragraph? No, that’s just daunting. Divide the cover letter into four main paragraphs that follow a natural progression and you can’t go wrong…
Set the scene
This is your introduction, where you make your initial impact. If possible, address the letter to the contact name on the job advert – and doubly, triply check you’ve spelt their name right! If you don’t want to risk guessing at their title, especially true if it’s an ambiguous name and you’re not sure if they’re a man or a woman, avoid an awkward mistake by just spelling out the entire name e.g. Dear Phaedra Collins. Don’t just use their first name unless, upon their reply, they sign off with their first name. If there is no contact name on the ad then Dear Sir/Madam is OK but definitely avoid the old school address Dear Sirs. That’s a surefire way to land yourself straight on the no pile – we’re not living in the 1950s, after all!
The rest of this paragraph should explain where you saw the job advertisement and why you were drawn to it. Explain that you think it matches your qualifications and experience and you can even say that you’re very excited or intrigued to find out more as it seems like a good role. It’s not bad to be enthusiastic, just don’t go overboard. Saying you’ll name your first child after the recruiter if they hire you is a small step too far…
Research, research, research
In the second part of your letter, give a brief overview about what attracts you specifically about the company and the role. Now is your chance to show that you’ve researched the position and have spent time on the application. If you’ve found out on their corporate website that they’re a fun, young company and the working environment fits your personality, say so. If the role requires strong analytical skills and that’s something you’ve always excelled on in your studies, tell them. Just don’t go too far and explain every point on the job description. Pick 2 – 4 of the reasons that the role appeals and tell them why it appeals and how it fits your personality.
This is me
Now is your chance to sell your successes and achievements in relation to the role. If the job spec says they need someone with strong computer skills and you did a module at uni on computing then this is your chance to brag. If you’ve had training in certain programs, have good presentation skills, are confident with numbers – whatever the job you’re applying for wants – then show, with examples, how you’d be a perfect fit. As a graduate, you can use non-work activities, clubs and unrelated jobs to showcase core skills. Just don’t lie!
Closing
This is the sign off, the conclusion to your letter. Reiterate how keen you are on the role, why the company and position appeals, and end on a positive note saying that you look forward to hearing from them. You can also offer any further information if they need it. Sign off 'Yours faithfully' if you started the email 'Dear Sir/Madam' or 'Yours sincerely' if you addressed it to the name of the employer. Sign off with your name and you can always include your phone number underneath.
Before you send
Wait! Don’t press send yet! Read it. Read it again. Read it a third time. Spellcheck it. If you’re not confident with grammar then call in a friend or family member to check it for you. You could have written an award-winning cover letter but if it’s littered with mistakes it will just undermine all your hard work. Only when you’ve checked and rechecked it and are 100% happy should you press that send button. Then it’s time to cross those fingers and wait…
The piece above was originally posted in www.totaljobs.com but has been reproduced for your consumption. For more tips, you can visit www.totaljobs.com Was this useful? If yes, SUBSCRIBE to our feed by entering your e-mail in the box below to get regular updates.
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