HOW COVER LETTERS CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR APPLICATION
Nothing divides recruiters like a cover letter. Some never read them, others swear by them. Either way as a candidate you need to make sure your letter is crafted to grab their attention (in a good way).
DO I REALLY, REALLY HAVE TO WRITE A COVER LETTER WHEN APPLYING FOR A JOB?
To be on the safe side, yes. Even if the job advert doesn’t explicitly ask for one, you can’t be sure if it is expected or not. Obviously if the ad specifies not to, then don’t – you don’t want anyone thinking you can’t follow basic instructions.
There are certain situations where good recruiters will always read a cover letter. When a role requires little or no relevant experience, a graduate role perhaps, the cover letter can be a useful way of differentiating between candidates and assessing their communication skills.
So letters are a good opportunity to shine. They can offer invaluable insights into your personality and attention to detail, and provide additional information that isn’t contained in a resume.
But don’t let writing one stop you from emphasising your interest in the role by phone, if you have the chance to contact a hiring manager.
WRITE WELL OR BE WRITTEN OFF AND WONDER WHY YOU DIDN’T HEAR BACK
A badly written letter will act against you. Recruiters and managers are looking for any reason to reject candidates – if your resume makes the grade but your letter doesn’t you won’t be going any further. So spend time getting it right.
Every recruiter will have read letters that have completely put them off. From those full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors to letters, and this is a true story, that are five pages long and include very little about the candidate’s suitability for the job but a lot about their passion for model railways, including pictures.
HOW TO GET THEM RIGHT.
First of all, make sure your resume is up to scratch and tailored to each role you apply for, because that is most likely to be looked at first (read our resume guide for help). Then move on to your letter:
Keep it short and sweet. Anything longer than a page will put recruiters off reading it (and they don’t need much of an excuse). A few short paragraphs is ideal. You’ll probably either upload the letter and resume to your application or send it as an email with your resume attached. The content should be the same for each and the tone professional but not overly formal – let them see your personality.
If writing a separate letter, it should match your resume in terms of format. Use the same font, font size and margins and use white space effectively to make it easy to read. Save it as a word .doc or as a PDF – it may be reviewed by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) so it should be in a recognisable format.
Nail the first paragraph. It can make or break your chances and needs to grab the reader’s attention. You should cover the essentials efficiently including the role you’re applying for and how you came to apply (such as through a referral or an online advert), and give a brief explanation of why you are interested in the role and the company. Demonstrate here that you have done your research about the brand and the job.
Make it robot ready. If you are applying online, an ATS may search your resume and cover letter for keywords, then rank your application. Your cover letter is a good opportunity to include more of those keywords. In the second and third paragraphs you should be using these keywords to really drive home why you should be considered.
If, as we suggest, you’ve customised your resume for a job, you’ll already know the key skills and competencies you need to highlight. If not, you can build a picture of the ideal candidate by looking for keywords in the advert and on the company website, finding out what its corporate values are and talking to people in your network. Don’t be afraid to call and ask if you’re not sure what they’re looking for.
Be specific. Rather than making vague statements such as‘I have good interpersonal skills’, highlight a time you have demonstrated this.
Fill in the gaps. Your letter should complement, not regurgitate, your resume. If there is something that your resume cannot explain, you can give some context in your cover letter. Perhaps you’re looking for a career change and have lots of transferrable skills, returning from a sabbatical, relocating from another country or taking a step back in order to gain some work-life balance and so on.
Don’t forget the small things. Include your contact details – in a letter these sit at the top, in an email they come below your name at the end. Try and find a person to address your letter to. If this isn’t included in the advert do some research online and confirm a name by calling the company. If you’re not 100% sure of the right name, a good compromise is Dear Hiring Manager.
Proofread it and proofread it again. Make sure there are absolutely no spelling mistakes and don’t forget to change the company or manager name if you are customising a letter you’ve used before. According to CareerBuilder, 61% of recruiters will automatically reject a candidate for typos and simple mistakes like this. Don’t rely on spell check and ask friends to proofread your letter too.
This includes making sure it reads well. Try not to overuse phrases such asI am, I haveandI believe, vary sentence structures and use action words as you would in your resume, to keep the reader interested. Also avoid sounding desperate or begging for an interview.
Don’t mention salary. A cover letter isn’t the place to talk about pay. And just like a resume, don’t include personal information such as marital status and religious affiliation.
End on a beginning. This is hopefully the start of a long relationship so sign off with an invitation to get in touch. For example:I look forward to discussing this opportunity and what I can offer in more detail, you can contact me any time.
A well written cover letting could give your application the extra boost it needs. But there are pitfalls so write them with care.
FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER:
- If in doubt, include a cover letter
- Keep it concise
- Highlight why you are a good fit for the role
- Proofread it
- Call if you can
