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What should a cover letter cover?
Charlotte Booth • 23 December 2020
It's an introduction not a biography.
You need to spend as long on this as you can as the cover letter is likely to be looked at before the CV and therefore needs to be an enticing introduction to you and your skills. This does not mean you write a mini (or a full-length) biography here, nor will two lines do. It's important to hit the right tone, and give them enough information.
First things first - have a copy of your CV in front of you, and a copy of the job spec and person spec.
What to include
Your cover letter should be as unique as you are, but there are some key points to remember.
1. Customise
- Always write a new letter for every job application. Although it is acceptable to use a template if you need to, the letter itself should be customised.
2. Personalise
- A letter needs to be addressed to someone personally (e.g. Mr Brown, Ms. Green). Sometimes there is a name on the bottom of the job advert, but if there isn't then search the company website for the name of the HR manager or the head of the department you are applying for. If you genuinely can't find a name then use "Head of HR" or "Recruitment Manager".
3. Tantalise
- Your first paragraph should never start with "My name is ...", they can see this from the CV, the letter sign off or the email address it was sent from and will just get them rolling their eyes. You can start with "I'm applying for the role of ...". But using something more exciting is better to tanatalise them into reading more (e.g. As an experienced Project Manager, I was excited to see this role come up at [company name] a forerunner in the industry). Praise the company, highlight the relevant experience or your passion for the industry.
4. It's all there
- Using the job and person specification you can summarise how your experience makes you the best candidate for the role. These documents tell you exactly what the company is looking for - so use it to guide what you write in the cover letter. If they want an experienced Project Manager - summarise your experience briefly (e.g. Having spent 15 years at Amazon as a Project Manager I have the experience to take on the challenge of working for you). If in doubt, or you find the letter is reading like a dispassionate list, think about how you would tell your gran about what you do.
5. It's about them not you
- Avoid writing about how the company would be great for your career, and how working for them would benefit you. What's more important to the hiring manager is how you can help them, and how your experience will benefit the team.
6. Positivity
- Keep your language positive and never highlight gaps in your CV or aspects of the job description you don't have (e.g. Whilst I have not held the position of Project Manager, I have lots of experience). Write about what you can do, and highlight your strengths and where you DO match the job description.
7. Brevity - A cover letter should be no longer than one A4 side. That doesn't mean 9 point font, single spaced with extended margins. If it is too long, cut the words not the formatting.
Writing a cover letter is not easy but it is worth spending time on it. If you would like some help writing your CV or cover letter why not contact me
today and let's get you on the path to your dream job.
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