Here is a list of things that you should NOT include in your cover
letter:
Typos or Factual Errors
Ø
You should always spellcheck your cover
letter. It's even better to get someone else to read it and point out any
mistakes or confusing things. People you can ask include friends, family
members, your careers teacher or a careers counsellor at your university or
TAFE.
Ø
Double-check everything in your cover letter.
If you mention a company's name, make sure you get it right. If you mention
places you've worked before, make sure you get their names right too. Mistakes
on cover letters are worse than typos.
Your
Entire Resume
Ø
Don't cut and paste your resume into your
cover letter. Try to re-word the information on your resume rather than just
repeating it. Keep your cover letter short and let your resume tell the whole
story.
Ø
Using "I" Too Much. Try to
make sure that you don't fill your cover letter with things like "I believe", "I have" and "I am". Once you've written your
letter, look over it and see if you can take out - or rewrite - any sentences
that start with "I".
Ø
Don't Mention Your Other Job Applications
You'll probably have more than one job application on the go at
any one time. It's important, though, not to mention other job applications.
You're trying to convince people you really want the job - it's hard to do that
if they know you're looking for other jobs as well.
Even though most people assume you aren't only applying for one
job at a time, it's best if you act as though you are.
Cover
Letters for When There's No Job Advertised
Sometimes
you might want to work for a particular business or organization even though
there haven't been any specific jobs advertised. Contacting these businesses
directly to ask if they have any jobs available is a perfectly legitimate thing
to do. It can show a high level of motivation and enthusiasm, and could even
lead to a job.
Even if
there's no job currently available, there's a chance they could keep your
details on file and get in touch with you when a job does become available.
This kind
of cover letter should be written in the same way as a general cover letter,
but with a few differences. You need to:
Ø
Show you've researched the organization or
business and know about what it does
Ø
Mention why you're interested in working for
them (in terms of what they do and your own long-term goals)
Ø
Show how your skills, experience and interest
fit in with the goals of the business or organization
Ø
Indicate what you're hoping to get out of
contacting them - do you want to know about positions currently available or to
speak to someone about what it's like to work there?
Ø
Finish the letter by saying that you'll
contact them in a couple of weeks, but that you're happy to talk to them if
they want to contact you before that
If you
haven't heard back in a couple of weeks, it's okay for you to contact them to
ask for a response - try emailing them or calling them to discuss your letter
directly.
Email Cover
Letters
Sometimes
you'll be asked to send your cover letter as an email instead of a separate
document. If this is the case you should:
Ø
Write your name and the job title in the email
subject line (e.g., " Ahmed Ali” - Application for Administration
Assistant role")
Ø
Remember you still need to use the name of the
person you're writing to
Ø
Avoid formatting the body of the email like a
traditional letter - leave out the contact details (yours and theirs) and just
go straight to the "Dear XXXX" part.
Ø
End the email with a professional signature
that includes your phone number
Ø
Always send the email from a professional
looking email address
What to Do
When Only A Cover Letter is Requested
Some organizations
may specifically ask you to respond to requirements of the job in a one-page
cover letter instead of submitting a resume.
When this
happens it's important to link your experience to the job's requirements in
your cover letter. When writing this kind of cover letter you should:
Ø
Include contact details (yours and theirs), a
reference line and a brief introduction to yourself, as advised in "What
to Include in Your Cover Letter", above
Ø
Briefly summarise your experience
Ø
Use bullet points (one bullet for each
requirement of the job) to clearly outline a) each requirement and b) how you
meet it (each point should be 2 lines maximum)
Ø
Conclude by asking them to contact you, as
advised in "What to Include in Your Cover Letter", above
Ø Check out
our Applying with a Cover Letter Only template for examples of how to write
this kind of cover letter.
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