When applying for jobs it’s a great idea to include a cover letter, not just your C.V. It doesn’t have to be a long letter but it could well help you stand out from other applications as many people don’t bother to write cover letters. The main purpose of a cover letter is to tell a prospective employer why you want to work for them and encourage them to read your CV. On your CV, they will find out most of the basic information they need, so, you don’t need to include too many details, otherwise you’ll end up repeating yourself.
Layout of a cover letter:
- Introduce yourself
- State the type of job you’re looking for
- Mention why you’d be good for the role – skills you’ve developed & the experience you have
- Encourage them to look at your CV – use phrases like, ‘as mentioned in my CV’
- Call to action – ‘I’d be more than happy to meet up and discuss my application further with you’
Tailor your cover letter to suit the job role
You’ll need to change certain aspects of your CV and cover letter so they’re specific to each job role you apply for.
In your cover letter, tailor it to show that you know exactly what the job entails. To do this, be specific when highlighting the qualities you have that relate to the job role. An example would be, if you’re applying to be a store manager, you’ll need excellent leadership and organisation skills.
Writing your cover letter
- Opening Paragraph – you need to get your reader interested.
Talk about the job role and where you have seen it advertised. ‘I have seen on Indeed that you have a job opening for a sales adviser…’. Give a brief introduction to who you are and what you’re looking for. State whether you’re interested in a full time or part-time job. - 2nd Paragraph – why are you good for the role?
Talk a little about previous job roles (if any) and the skills you have learnt. If you’re applying for a job within the same industry as previous jobs, you’ll know how to ‘speak their language’. This is one way to impress your potential future employer. For example, ‘In my previous/current role, I had to meet monthly sales targets and always succeeded in doing that…’. - 3rd Paragraph – why is the company a good fit for you?
‘This job role is a perfect match for my personal and professional goals…’. Talking about how you will fit into their company will get them to envision it as well which may well push them to offer you an interview. In this paragraph you can also mention some of your skills and how you can put them to use within this position. - Closing Paragraph – call to action.
‘I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my application further…’. Adding a call to action at the end will increase the chances of them contacting you.
REMEMBER – start and finish the letter formally, using the terms such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and ‘Kind regards’ or ‘Yours faithfully’.
We hope that this blog has been helpful to you and wish you the very best of luck with your job applications.
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