Cover Letter: Writing a good cover letter is an essential part of the job-hunting process, but knowing how to do it right takes effort. I will show you, get prepared to learn how to write a cover letter for a job application or internship in no time as well as how to come up with a better resume.
After hours spent crafting your CV, it can seem a little superfluous to transfer the information into letter format. However, your cover letter shouldn’t be a regurgitation of your CV. Instead, it should zoom in on a few key skills and experiences on your CV that the employer values the most. As a result, your cover letter should be bespoke for every application.
Some recruiters may receive hundreds of applications a day, so your cover letter gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd. With 57.1% of professionals ranking the cover letter as an essential application component, you can’t afford to leave it out.
I know that writing these letters can seem daunting at first, especially as it can feel like there’s a lot to remember. To help, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to building your cover letter and tailoring it for each opportunity you apply to.
How to Structure and Write a Cover Letter
In 2018, it’s very rare for cover letters to be hard copies as most are sent online. However, traditional cover letter conventions state that your cover letter should be written like any other formal business letter, even if you’re emailing it.
Start with your address and contact details in the top right-hand corner. Make sure your contact details are sensible email addresses like [email protected] won’t make you look very professional! You should then follow this with the address of the company you’re applying for and the date further down and on the left-hand side.
[Your address Line 1] [Address Line 2] [Address Line 3] [Phone Number] [Company address line 1] [Company address line 2] [Date]
To [Name],
Paragraph 1:
Your opening paragraph should be short and sweet made up of three things: why you’re writing the letter, the position you’re applying for, how you found out about the position. For example: “I am writing to apply for the role of [job title], in response to an advert I saw on [name of job site]. Please find my CV attached.”
Paragraph 2:
The second paragraph should be about you, expanding on your CV and giving a summary of any relevant skills or education you have. Remember, your cover letter shouldn’t be a copy of your CV;
it should take your most notable achievements, explain a bit more about them, and then show how these skills could benefit the employer. Mirror the skills mentioned and the phrasing that’s used in the job description.
Paragraph 3:
The third paragraph is your chance to show your knowledge of the company and the sector and go into detail about why you want to work for their company specifically. You should state how you can help the company and add to its success, as well as why you’ll fit in with the company culture and core values.
Paragraph 4:
End your letter with a call to action. As you’re hoping to secure an interview, let them know your availability for a callback. If you plan to follow up with a phone call, say so! If you plan to wait for a response, close with “I look forward to hearing from you”. Thank them for taking the time to read your letter and sign off with:
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Cover Letter Example (Hand-Written)
A classic cover letter should contain 3-4 paragraphs. Try to address a specific person if necessary. Check out the example below:
Dear Mr. Jones,
I am applying for the available marketing assistant role advertised at www.jobs.ie.
As well as having experience in the marketing field, I graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) with a BA in Marketing. I am now looking to use the knowledge gained so far in my career to further help clients achieve their sales targets and the opening at Acme Business presents me with the ideal opportunity to achieve this goal.
I believe I meet all the criteria needed for the role. In the course of my studies, I learned a great deal about the financial side of running a business including details on setting a budget. I worked as part of a group for a number of projects and feel comfortable as part of a team due to my interpersonal and communication skills.
At Johnson Marketing, I worked for a variety of major international firms and helped them learn crucial details about customer behaviour. As a result, we were able to streamline the marketing campaigns of these clients to reduce costs while increasing ROI. I worked with five different clients during my tenure at Johnson Marketing and all five enjoyed a sales increase of at least 10%.
In addition to this extensive marketing campaign experience, I also have strong administrative, communication, problem solving and time management skills. This broad background makes me an ideal candidate for this position and I believe I will bring flexibility, efficiency, reliability and innovation to your company. Please read the accompanying CV which will provide you with further details of my skill set and academic qualifications.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my application and I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
Jane Smith
Do You Know How To Dissect the Cover Letter?
Here’s the bottom line. A company is going to hire you either because you’re exceptionally qualified for the job, or because you’re extremely likable and a good cultural fit.
While your resume is intended to lay out the cold hard facts, your cover letter is meant to convey more personality and flare. The goal of your cover letter should be to make yourself as memorable as possible. That means writing a unique cover letter for every job you apply to. No templates. No pre-written nonsense. Instead, try some of these techniques.
1. Tell A Compelling Story
Everyone loves a good story, and job recruiters are no exception. What makes this company your go-to choice? Why is this company special to you? Perhaps you’re attracted to the workplace culture, or perhaps you’ve always admired the business philosophy that the company lives by.
No company wants to feel as though it’s just another firm among the hundreds that you mass e-mailed your cover letter to, so spell out exactly why you think this company, in particular, would be a great fit for you.
2. Address the Recruiter by Name
Now it’s fine to just use “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern” when addressing the recruiter. I can tell you from experience that most people use precisely these words. However, I can also tell you that most people don’t get the job.
If you want to make a strong impression, then take the time to find out who you’re addressing. Of course, this may not be so easy. You may have to make a few phone calls or try several Google searches until you find the right name. But hey, the harder it is to do, the less likely other job applicants will do it and the more impressed the recruiter will be with you.
3. Inject Some Humor
It’s a dangerous approach, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. While an awkward or inappropriate joke might downright ruin your chances, well-timed use of humor can push a recruiter who’s on the fence over to your side.
Remember that one of the main goals of a cover letter is to exhibit your personality, and humor can certainly accomplish that. It’s simply a matter of stellar execution.
4. Avoid Overused Phrases
The average Joe’s cover letter is going to be extremely generic. It’ll contain banal expressions such as “Thank you for taking the time to look at my resume” or “I believe that my set of skills make me a great fit for the job.”
While none of these lines hurt your chance of getting the job, they certainly don’t help either. Recruiters who go through hundreds of cover letters every day get tired of these clichés, and they’re waiting for something new and refreshing to come along.
Analyzing the Resume
While cover letters act as attention grabbers that show off your likability and make you stand out, resumes tend to be too formal to have the same effect.
Instead, a job-winning resume should be written with one goal in mind: to convince the hiring manager that you are someone who has the skills and experience to excel in the job. To make this case, here are some of the most important things you should do that most job applicants don’t.
1. Copy the Job Description
Both recruiters and applicant tracking systems will be looking for exact keywords on your resume that match the job description. You should always tweak your resume for every job you apply to and simply mimic the description.
For example, if the job overview for a software engineering position requires that candidates have knowledge of object-oriented design and you took a course on object-oriented programming in college, note it on your resume!
2. Write More About What’s Relevant
Let’s say you have experience in multiple industries. Perhaps you worked as an accountant for 6 years, a financial analyst for 3, a tax auditor for 1, and now you have your eyes set on a portfolio manager position.
While it might usually make sense to include a very lengthy section on your resume about what you did in accounting simply because it’s the field you have the most experience in, that isn’t always the case…at least not here.
Your goal for this job application is to show that you can be a great portfolio manager, and the piece of experience that best exemplifies this is your work as a financial analyst so emphasize it!
For example, while you might ordinarily write 8 bullet points for your accounting job and only 4 bullet points for your financial analyst position, here it’d be better to include 6 bullet points for each.
3. Put What Matters on Top
No rule says your Education section must come before your Work Experience section. If you graduated from a prestigious university with a stellar GPA, you may want to put that first.
However, if you’re applying to become a database administrator but your degree is in biology, keep that on the down-low and just mention your education at the bottom of your resume.
In a nutshell, it’s crucial to understand what exactly you’re trying to accomplish with your cover letter and your resume and to make sure you’re painting the right picture of yourself with both. If you do that, you’ll be sure to snag yourself an amazing job!
How Long Should My Cover Letter Be?
Your cover letter should be no longer than a single A4 page. This can be tricky, especially since you want to impress the employer with all your skills and experience. But trust us; they simply won’t be interested in reading a 3,000-word essay. Even if they were, they probably just wouldn’t have the time! Keep it short, sweet, and simple.
Now it’s time to push forward and take the time to write a great cover letter. If you’re not yet sure where to being, you should have a look at additional cover letter examples and resumes templates for inspiration or just a jumping-off point. Kindly share this article with your friends and loved ones.
StudentsandScholarship Team.
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