Creating a cover letter
In today’s world of job hunting, a cover letter plays an essential part in the recruitment process. There has never been more of a requirement to stand out from the crowd (in a positive way!)
A cover letter can set you apart from the competition. It provides an opportunity to sell yourself beyond your CV.
While having a basic personalised cover letter is a great start, you need to make sure that you are creating a bespoke letter for every application. This will allow you to stand out and show your future employer why they should hire you.
What to do when creating your cover letter
Structure to your cover letter, ensure it is clear, conscience and flows
Cover letter format
Who to address your cover letter to - Where possible try and find out who the main contact for the role is. Sometimes this will be mentioned within the advert or you may be able to work it out via the companies careers page or LinkedIn page. Try where possible to address the cover letter to a generic ‘whom it may concern’.
Use white space - When creating your cover letter, remember to use white space. You want the letter to be easy to read, break it down into clear paragraphs.
Keep the cover letter under one page - ideally one page. Keep it clear conscience and relevant, ideally four to five paragraphs.
Opening paragraph - Your Opening paragraph will explain the role you are applying for. For example
‘Dear Ham Yard Hotel recruitment team.
I formally wish to apply for the role of reservations manager as advertised on Caterer.com. ‘
Middle paragraph - this is where you will explain why you are suitable for the position. This section can be divided into two paragraphs as make up the main body of the letter. It is vital that you do not just state that you have relevant experience. You need to show evidence of this experience.
Middle paragraph - The following paragraph is where you can talk about why you want to work for the company. This is something that you will not be able to show in your CV so really sell it here. Perhaps this is a dream company for you. Maybe you love the brand. Again do not just tell them you want to work for them or love the brand, give meaning behind it, show them.
Closing paragraph - Now for the close. Recap your interest in the role and indicate your desire for a personal interview. Make it compelling to ensure it gains the employer’s attention from the word get-go. Allow your personality to shine through, while remaining professional.
Keep it simple - Remember there is no need for images or multiple fonts. Your words alone should be more than enough.
Research before starting
When creating your cover letter make sure you spend time to research and understand the company and the role. There are several ways to do this including:
The company
The company’s website
Look at companies’ achievements, ethos etc.
Glassdoor
LinkedIn; do you have any connections who work at the company?
Express your interest in the company through their mission work, reflect upon current work that may have been mentioned on social channels i.e. any growth, specific projects….
The role
You will have seen a job advert or job description for the role you are applying for. Before tackling your cover re-read this in detail. Highlight or make notes about all areas where you match the criteria, be it experience you have or the role’s person specification.
When demonstrating how your experience matches the requirements, try not to entirely focus on your current job. All of that will be highlighted within your CV. Instead, mention achievements- relevant experience by where you can demonstrate why you would be great for the position.
Replicate the keywords and language used within the job description. While you might have been an event manager the company you are applying for may refer to the same position as an operations manager.
How to highlight your skills and career
When elaborating upon your skills and career, be sure to showcase any relevant career highlights and achievements. Use this letter as an opportunity to sell yourself and your accomplishments before they have even read your CV.
Sell yourself through quantifiable evidence i.e. “I see that the company has recently expanded overseas, I have exposure to working within this sector during my time at (company A), by where I set up overseas systems and communication channels for international markets…..”
Ultimately, do be honest and genuine! The truth will eventually come out even if you have fabricated sales figures, exaggerated the size of your team of simply enhanced your experience.
Make sure that anything you state in your cover letter is reflected in your CV and LinkedIn profile.
Make it personal and different to your CV
As much as it is tempting to use an online template can be far too generic. Yes, there are hundreds out there but make it personal. You need to tailor it in line with each job role you are applying for. There is nothing worse than receiving a cover letter that does not relate to that job. It will mean more work, but it is worth the effort.
Do not repeat too much information that is covered in your CV. Your cover letter should complement your CV not be a duplication, this is your chance to add some else to get you through that door.
What if it’s an ‘easy apply application’ and you can’t add a cover letter?
Still, write your bespoke cover letter and added it to the word document ahead of your CV. Not many people will do this and it will allow you to stand out from the crowd. While others might just submit their CV you will have presented the employee with not just your CV but a bespoke cover letter telling them why you want to work for the company and how you meet the criteria.
Video cover letters
There is a new type of cover letter being asked for by more and more employees this year. A video cover letter gives you another chance to stand out from the crowd. Rather than writing out why you want to work for the company or how you match the skills and experience required, why not tell them via a video.
When creating a video cover letter remember a few things:
Keep it short, try and keep it between 2 - 3 minutes.
Make a listicle - if you have a lot of information you want to get across, do it in the form of a list.
Create original content - just like a traditional cover letter make it bespoke to the role you are applying for.
Watch your language - just as you would in a written cover letter watch your language and reflect the style used in the job description or on the companies website.
Do not read from a script - while you might be nervous to do a video, remember you do not have to send the first version in. Try not to read from a script and give it a couple of goes.
Nail the closing - remember you are selling yourself at this moment and the close is the last thing they will hear. Use sentences like, 'I look forward to meeting you for an interview,' or ‘please do contact me should you have any questions, otherwise I look forward to hearing from you’,