The perfect covering letter

the resignation letter - template

How to make yourself stand out – with the perfect covering letter

It’s not all about the CV – you mustn’t forget the importance of a covering letter.

The average job advertised online receives 250 applications!  This is just one of the scary statistics compiled by company BeHiring .

You should look at the covering letter as the very first hurdle to getting that interview. It’s like the ‘gatekeeper’ before you get to the decision maker! A good letter means you’ll proceed to the next level and your CV will actually get read! Albeit for only 4-6 seconds, according to research from the Cambridge network!

So, here are our top tips on writing the perfect covering letter.

  1. Don’t state the obvious –  e.g. name of job, where it was advertised. They know what the job is and where it’s been advertised.
  2. Don’t waffle – keep it succinct and don’t waste their time. Think about how many CVs they’ve got to go through.
  3. Basics – Get them right, but I shouldn’t have to tell you that – spelling, grammar, punctuation etc.
  4. What can you bring to the job – that others can’t?
  5. What’s missing? – it’s an opportunity to tell your potential employer information that is not on your CV – or not instantly obvious. You have to bring your skills and experience to life – beyond a factual CV.
  6. Condense – summarise your best achievements that are relevant to this role. Think of it as a concentrated shot of CV.
  7. Tailor, Tailor, Tailor – keep it relevant to this job only – sell your key skill set and experience that is most relevant to the job.
  8. Formatting – Save and send as a PDF file – I’d do this for both letter and CV. This guarantees how your letter and CV will appear to the recruiter. Don’t let the wrong software mess up your hard work!

 

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