Posted on over 8 years ago by John Reid
Cover yourself
A good cover letter can be the difference between getting a job interview and been passed over, you might feel that you have an amazing CV and everything is done on your side and you just sit back and wait for the interview call. However a good cover letter can be the interview clincher.
Why should you write a cover letter?
Think of your CV as a snapshot of your working and educational experience but every picture has a story, the cover letter is your chance to explain who you are both personal and professionally, what you offer and why you are a suit for the role and company. It can also give you a chance to explain anything you feel you want to express than your CV doesn’t display like why you are looking to move on from your present company and work for a new one or even a gap in your CV.
The length of text:
A good cover note should never use more than one page, ideally 10 to 12 lines would be the maximum. It needs to be clear and concise, the shorter but more detailed the better for you, a busy recruiter could have 30 seconds to read a CV and cover letter so it’s best not to overload the note with information especially irrelevant information
Highlight necessary skills or experience:
You may be applying for a role that requires someone with a particular skillset or qualification, you instantly grab the recruiters attention if they are looking for someone with a hard to find skillset or experience on a product and you are mentioning it in your cover note, it shows straight away that you’re an interesting applicant and also have taken the time to understand the role.
Always mention the recruiter by their name if provided:
If for example a recruiter writes on a job application please contact John/Mary then it is advisable to use this on your cover letter when beginning your note eg “Dear Mary”, if contact names are provided and someone writes “Dear sir or madam” it gives the impression they have just sent on a generic copy and paste letter, the personal touch might be a small issue but it is best to begin the interaction on a positive note to get the recruiters attention. It is perfectly acceptable if name not specified to write something generic like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To whom it may concern”.
Finish the letter on a positive and open for reply:
Always finish the note with thanking the recruiter for spending the time reading the note and leave it open for them to contact you by giving your contact phone number and signing off with a pleasant message such as “Yours sincerely and your name”.
Should you need any advice on this or indeed any stage of the application process please feel free to call The RFT Group on 01 2302400 or visit www.rftgroup for a full list of vacancies.