The Purpose of a Cover Letter
You might be applying for a
specific, advertised job, or you might be contacting a potential employer to
see if they have any vacancies. Either way, your cover letter needs to:
Ø Introduce you
Ø Mention the job (or kind of job) you're applying for (or
looking for)
Ø Match your skills and experiences with the skills and
experiences required by the job
Ø Encourage the reader to read your resume
Ø Finish with a call to action (e.g., requesting an interview
or asking to meet)
Ø For more about each of these steps, check out "What to
Include on Your Cover Letter", below.
How Long Should A Cover Letter Be?
A
cover letter shouldn't be more than one page. It's only meant to be a summary
of the information you put in your resume, so remember to keep things short.
Use your Cover Letter
Ø
You should never use one cover for lots of
different job applications.
Ø
Your cover letter needs to show that you know
what the job involves and what the organisation requires. To do this you need
to be as specific as you can about your skills and qualities and how they match
the job or organisation's needs.
Here are three simple ways to make your cover
letter as specific as possible:
1. Find Out Who to address it to
Ø
You should avoid addressing your letter
"To Whom It May Concern" if you can. Finding out who to address your
application to takes a little bit of effort, but it's worth it.
Ø
If you found the job in an ad, the ad will
probably name a person to send the application to. If not, call the employer or
recruitment agency (don't email them) and ask who to send the application to.
Ø
When addressing a letter, don't use the
person's first name. Use either "Mr." or "Ms.".
2. Find Out More About the Job
When
finding out who to address your application to, you should also try to speak to
that person so you can ask questions that will help you tailor your cover
letter (and resume).
3. Find Out More About the Company
Finding
out more about a company is also a good way to work out how to tailor your
cover letter. Here's some tips:
Ø
If you know the name of the company, look for
information online
Ø
If they have their own website, check it out,
especially their About Us page
Ø
If the company name isn't in the ad, call the
recruitment agency and ask who the employer is
What to
Include in a Cover Letter
Here's
a list of things that you should include when you write a cover letter. For
examples of these things in action, check out our Sample Resumes and Cover
Letters page.
i.Your
Name and Contact Details
Ø
Put your name and contact details at the top
of your cover letter. You don't have to give your postal address, but you do
need to include your email and phone number.
Ø
Make sure you'll be able to answer the number
you give - no sense giving your home phone if you're not going to be home to
answer it.
Ø
Make sure your email address is a professional
sounding one. An email address like yolo@zapbangpowdude.co.uk doesn't create
the right impression.
iii.
Under your own name and contact details you should include:
Ø
The name of the person you're writing to
Ø
Their position or the name of their company
Ø
Their contact details
Note: If you're
having trouble finding this information you can call the company to ask who you
should address your application to. You can also use "To Whom It May
Concern" - but try to only use this as a last resort.
iv. The Name
of the Job You're Going For
At
the start of your cover letter explain which job you're applying for. You can
either do this on a line by itself (e.g., "Re: Application for Stock
Controller position") or in the opening paragraph (e.g., "I am
writing to apply for the recently advertised Stock Controller position.")
Ø
Your letter should Include a brief summary of
your skills and experiences that match the job description. A short
bullet-pointed list is fine.
Ø
If you're answering a job ad, either the ad or
the position description may provide a list of skills and experiences that are
essential for doing the job. It may also provide a list of
"desirable" skills and experience. Your cover letter needs to respond
to all of the items on the "essential" list and as many items as
possible on the "desirable" list in as short a way as possible.
Ø
Remember that if you say you have a skill or
experience, you need to show how you've used it or how you got it (e.g., if you
say you've got child-minding skills, mention some jobs where you've used them).
v.A Summary of Why You're Right for
the Job
Ø
After listing your skills and experience you
should explain why this means you're suited to the job (e.g., "The
combination of my interest in AFL and my experience with book-keeping makes me
ideally suited for this job.")
vi.Ask
Them to Check out Your Resume & Contact You
Ø
Your cover letter should finish by asking the
reader to look at your resume. It should also ask them to contact you about an
interview.
Ø
Try something simple like, "I have
attached a copy of my resume for your consideration. I look forward to hearing
from you about this application."
Sign up here with your email
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon