How to Write a Great Cover Letter

A cover letter is a one-page letter which is sent out with a résumé or CV when you are replying to a job advertisement or when you are contacting a company on spec to enquire about possible unadvertised vacancies.

Every time you send out a résumé or CV it should be accompanied by a cover letter. A letter introduces yourself and your reason for writing, essential when writing cold but not to be overlooked when responding to an ad.

Many people make the mistake of simply rehashing their work history in the letter, but the recruiter has already read your CV and being a busy person, why would he want to read the same information twice? A cover letter should enhance your CV, not repeat it. It is estimated that the majority of employers don’t read the cover letter the first time they look at your résumé. If your résumé gets through the first screening, only then will the letter be read. Does this mean it’s insignificant? Definitely not! In fact, the opposite is true. At the first reading – scanning would be more appropriate as it’s between 10 and 20 seconds – certain CVs will be put in the pile destined for the next round. However, many of them will go no further, except in the direction of the bin. To ensure that your’s makes it to the interview pile, you need to write a really good cover letter.

A cover letter should always be addressed to a named person and should be typed (unless you have been specifically asked for a hand-written letter) and set out in the usual business style. It is your opportunity to stand out – to grab the employer’s attention and make her want to interview you.

The introduction tells why you are writing. If you are applying for a specific post, you should say where you saw the ad – employers like to track their advertising as this can help them save money in future. Keep it brief, for example “In response to your advertisement, ref 123 in yesterday’s Echo, I am writing to apply for xyz.” You will then go on to prove, by giving examples, that you have the qualities and abilities to do the job. You can do this by targeting the main keywords in the advertisement and showing clearly that you stand out from the crowd.

You will not need to ask for an interview or to give times at which you are free (unless the advertisement asked for this information) – you will be contacted if you are to be interviewed and will be expected to make yourself available on the interview date.

If you are enquiring about potential vacancies, you’ll want to say something which makes the employer sit up and take notice right away. Cold letters are often ignored, binned or filed in the back of the cabinet and forgotten. So something along the lines of “Having recently set up an award winning youth employment program in my home town of X, I was struck by the similarity between your company’s mission and my own vision for conquering youth unemployment.” By immediately addressing their major concerns and showing that you’ve already been successful in finding solutions, your letter has a very high chance of being read. The rest of the letter will prove that you have the ability to meet their needs, by giving examples of what you have done and will then ask for the opportunity to meet to discuss the possibility of openings within the organization. You can indicate times at which you are free and you should try to be as flexible as possible.

A well written and highly targeted cover letter could mean the difference between an invitation to attend an interview and no response to your CV. However good your résumé, an excellent cover letter will increase your chances of success.

© Waller Jamison 2007

By: Waller Jamison

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