When I have dozens of applications to sort through, my first filter is the cover letter. Many candidates will be ruled out without me even glancing at their CV.
In fact, if the cover letter is good, your application may make it into the ‘interview’ pile with only a quick scan of your CV.
Take a little time to create a good first impression and your potential employer is much more likely to take your application seriously.
A one-size-fits-all letter is unlikely to get you very far. It needs to be targeted at the company and role you are applying for. Before you actually start writing your cover letter, do a little preparation:
Get familiar with the company
The first thing to do is to find out a little about the company, which is often as simple as browsing their website. What is their business? Which products or services do they offer? Who is their target audience?
Once you know what space they operate in, do some further research to get a sense of who their competition is. Depending on the type of business, this may include online and/or local competitors. Imagine you are a potential customer looking for the type of product or service they offer and see what other businesses are offering the same thing.
You don’t need to spend too much time looking into the company at this stage, just enough to get a feel for who they are and what they do, but you will want to do more in-depth research as you prepare for interview.
Dissect the job listing
Read the job listing and make a bullet point list of what they are looking for in a candidate. This may include:
- Skills
- Experience
- Qualifications
- Personal attributes
Note the name of the person you should contact. If it is not given here, call the company or look on their website to find out.
Pay attention to the type of language used – including keywords etc. – and use similar language in your cover letter.
Writing the letter
Now you are prepared, it’s time to write the letter. Keep it short and concise. Employers often will have dozens of applications to go through, and the longer your letter is, the less likely it is to be read. Aim for about half a page broken into easy to read paragraphs. A full page is the absolute maximum.
Some other rules to follow:
- Make sure it is well written: your spelling and grammar must be perfect. Don’t know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’? Find out!
- Use an appropriate font: any cover letter using comic sans will immediately be scrunched up and launched towards the waste-paper basket. Ideally use the same styling as your CV.
- Keep it professional: this letter is solely about your suitability for the job – the number of cats you have is irrelevant.
- Be positive: focus on what you can offer them, not what you can’t.
- Don’t be too keen: enthusiasm is good, acting like your life ambition is to work for them isn’t (even if that happens to be true!)
Opening
Address the letter to the person responsible for filling this vacancy. If you really couldn’t find an appropriate person, use ‘Dear Sir or Madam’.
Avoid using first names unless you’re absolutely certain this is acceptable. If the listing only gives a first name, find out their surname and use Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms.
Now get straight down to business. The opening paragraph should contain:
- The purpose of your letter: ‘I would like to apply for the role of…’
- Where you saw the job advertised, or how you heard about it.
Body
The main content of the letter is to show why you are suitable for this role. These paragraphs can be more important than your CV in getting you to the interview stage.
Aim for one paragraph per bullet point here, and remember not to make them too dense. Don’t be concerned that you’re leaving out information that will strengthen your chances of getting the job. This is a ‘teaser-trailer’ for what you can do – save the rest to blow them away at the interview.
- Match your skills, experience and qualifications to those in the job listing as closely as you can. If there’s something you can’t match, just don’t mention it at all. Focus on the positive!
- Include an example of an achievement that is relevant to the company and the role you are applying for. Let them imagine that you will be able to provide that same value to them.
- Tell them why you want to work for them. Make this something specific to their company. What impressed you when you were researching them? Perhaps they are the market leader?
Closing
Wrap up with a paragraph that:
- Thanks them for taking the time to read your application.
- Invites them to look at your CV.
- Provides your email address and telephone number.
- Tells them you look forward to meeting them to discuss your suitability further.
Sign off with ‘yours sincerely’ if you addressed the letter to a specific person, or ‘yours faithfully’ if you used ‘Sir or Madam’, followed by your signature (if posting a physical application) and full name.
Summary
I hope you have found this guide helpful. The key points you should remember are:
- Keep it short and easy to read – this includes good presentation.
- Tailor it for at that particular company and role.
- They’ve told you exactly what they’re looking for in the job listing, so show them you check all those boxes.
Assuming you have the required experience etc. for the role, crafting your letter this way will almost certainly get you an interview. Even if you’re not 100% suitable, your chances will increase dramatically.