Knowing how to write a great cover letter is an important skill for any professional. In this article, I explain why cover letters are important, give tips on how to write an impressive cover letter and I include a free example cover letter you can download and use as a guide.
Why are cover letters important?
An in-house recruiter recently told me she had received a job application from an ‘ivy league’ candidate. He’d worked at a Big 4 professional services firm, had great qualifications and a solid professional network. But she didn’t interview him. Why? When he applied for the role, he sent his CV without writing a cover letter. To this recruiter, it suggested he hadn’t taken the time to do his research and that he believed his previous experience would be enough to get him the job. She felt this behaviour and attitude meant he wouldn’t be a good fit.
Cover letters are an important weapon in your job search arsenal. A well-written cover letter is your chance to tell employers why they should short list you. Your CV chronicles the work you have done in the past but your cover letter tells employers why you want to work for them and what you will bring to the role? And when you consider recruiters and employers have to sift through hundreds of job applications from people they’ve never met before, you can see why a cover letter is so important.
Do your research
Before you even attempt to write a cover letter and CV, you must do your research. This includes:
- Research the role – review the job ad and the job description. Go through each line item. It’s likely you won’t have experience against every dot point but on balance, do you have what they are looking for?
- Research the company – check to see it’s a good fit for you in terms of location, size, industry, values and purpose
- Research yourself – when was the last time you Googled yourself and updated your LinkedIn profile?
(At the bottom of this article, I invite you to join my Love What You Do community to receive some free employment tip sheets and checklist, including a very detailed checklist on how to do your research before a job interview.)
How to write an impressive cover letter
“Forgive me for writing a long letter. If I had more time, I would have written a short letter”.
Blaise Pascal
In the digital era, letter writing is becoming something of a lost art. A cover letter is not place to tell a future employer everything about yourself and why you want the job – keep some of that up your sleeve for the interview. Ideally, a cover letter should be no more than one page, so make every word count. Don’t waste space writing phrases like “I am writing to you because” – it’s self-evident you are writing to them…they are reading your letter!
Be personal
Using the recruiter’s or employer’s name is one way to immediately build credibility and rapport. Often, the name of the person managing the recruitment is on the job advertisement. If not, make a phone call and ask who you should address the letter to. In Australia, it is customary to address the person by their first name, not their title and last name “Ms/Mr/Dr” etc. Try to avoid “Dear Sir/Madam” as it suggests you haven’t done your research. Addressing the person by name is a small courtesy that makes a big difference.
Consider keywords
With the advent of artificial intelligence, some larger employers are now using bots to scan job applications. It is always best practice to write for humans, as most algorithms are programed to pick up natural language. One thing to consider is whether you can incorporate keywords from the job description in your cover letter and CV. You certainly don’t want to “stuff” keywords into your document (where you repeat keywords multiple times) but consider how you can incorporate them into your cover letter and CV naturally so the document reads like it is written by a person, for a person.
About the organisation
Most organisations pride themselves on being different from their competitors (even if in reality they are very similar). So, what is it about working for this organisation that appeals to you? Do they have a great reputation as a leader in their field? Are they working on particular projects that you find interesting? Or is it because they’re recognised as an employer of choice. Employers want to be confident that you’ll be a good fit so tell them why you will make a good addition to the team.
About the role
Similar to your fit in the organisation, you need to explain what is it about you – your attitude, your experience, your motivations – that explains why you’re the best fit for the role. Your CV won’t always align perfectly to the job description but that’s okay as some employers hire on attitude and fit for the business, as well as past experience. So, if you have gaps in your CV, tell them why you’re applying and what you’ll bring to the role.
About yourself
As I mentioned above, employers want to hire someone who will be a good fit in the organisation and the team, who is self-motivated and will get on with the job. What can you say about yourself in your cover letter to demonstrate you’re a ‘can do’ person who communicates well with others?
Take action
The reason why you’re writing the cover letter is to help you get an interview…so make sure you ask for one! Be confident and say you would like to meet with them at an interview to learn more. And of course, make sure your contact details are included with the letter!
What not to say
As I mentioned above, keep the cover letter short. Don’t go into detail about your work history – leave that for your CV. There are also some red flags you shouldn’t mention in your cover letter, which are best left for job interviews.
- Don’t ask about salary/pay – it may suggest you’re only interested in the money and not the job itself
- Don’t tell them you’re applying for other jobs – it may suggest you’re trying to pressure them into giving you the role
- Don’t say why you want to leave your current role or go into detail about why you were made redundant or left your job – an interview is the best place to tell your career story
- Don’t ask for special conditions if they’re not part of the advertised role – being demanding upfront won’t make a good first impression either
You need to be authentic and honest – never lie in a job application but also be mindful of making a good first impression.
Letter format
If you haven’t written a letter for a while, here are some handy reminders on how to correctly format a business letter.
- In the top right-hand corner, write your name and contact details
- In the top left-hand corner, write the recruiter’s name, job title, company name and address of business. If the business is virtual and doesn’t have a street address, then write “via email” in lieu of their physical address.
- Next, write “Dear <name>” – see above my notes about being personal.
- Then, in bold, write “Re: <job title> <job number – if it’s relevant” and make it bold.
- Paragraph 1 – Address why are you applying. What has caught your interest about this organisation and the role?
- Paragraph 2 – Discuss why are you a good fit for the organisation and role. That is, why should they interview you.
- Paragraph 3 – Invite the employer contact you for an interview.
I have drafted a sample cover letter, which you can use as a guide. You can download it here >> Future U Coaching Example Cover Letter
A cover letter is good start but you also need a winning CV
A great cover letter is important but it’s only half the story. The other half is your CV and I have some useful resources to help you write a dynamic winning CV.
Join my Love What You Do community. When you join, I send you a series of free career tip sheets, including, a Resume Guide, a Job Interview Check List with a detailed ‘to do’ list for your research plus a Weekly Planner. You also receive a 10% discount to my affordable online coaching programs.
One of these online program teaches you how to write a dynamic CV, which is a CV you can tailor to each job opportunity you apply for. You will learn:
- How to create your dynamic CV
- Different CV formats for any job
- The two purposes of your CV
- The critical information you need to get shortlisted
In summary, a good cover letter and CV are two vital communications tools you need to get shortlisted for a job interview. Use this article plus the sample cover letter to help write a winning application. Also, join my Love What You Do Community to receive a series of free career tip sheets plus 10% discount to my online career coaching programs.
Want to learn more?
Read:
How to make a Career Action Plan
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
