Whether you are emailing your application, submitting it onto a Job Board website or sending it by post, the Cover Letter is your first chance to entice the reader into taking a detailed look at your CV. So take time and adopt a few simple rules to generate the right impression.
Address Your Reader
If you do not know the name of the person you need to address it to, find out and keep it professional, “Dear Mr Blogs” rather than “Dear Fred”.
State Your Intentions
Recruiters are busy and are often covering multiple vacancies, therefore clearly state in the first sentence your intention to apply for a given role and include any reference numbers if applicable.
Sell Your Skills
our Cover Letter is not your CV, be brief, but tell them why you feel you have the skill to do the role successfully and meet the employer’s expectation, without sounding self-important. Pick the main responsibility they are looking for and give an example of why you are the person they want to employ. Two short paragraphs is plenty to get across all you need.
1 Page Maximum
Be as punchy as possible as the reader will probably be a very busy person with numerous applications to go through and will not want to trawl through a long letter.
Contact Information
Be sure to include your contact details which should also be on your CV but there is no harm with doubling up.
Spelling & Grammar
Ensure that it is properly checked for any spelling and grammar mistakes. Ask someone to proof read it for you.
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