The Cover Letter

One of the core mistakes applicants make is to not give enough care and attention to the cover letter. Remember first impressions are crucial, this is often the first contact you make with a potential employer, as they usually read the cover letter before the curriculum. You can win them over or lose them at this point. If it fails to grab the reader’s attention there is a good chance they won’t even look at your CV.

When a recruiter states, “cover letter optional”, commonly found in online applications, they don’t really mean it is optional. It is a test to see how much you really want the job? Enough to spend the extra time to write another document? Always send a cover letter, unless otherwise specified. And why wouldn’t you? It is a great opportunity to present more reasons as to why you are the best person for the job, to demonstrate you not only meet the criteria they are looking for but you also have much more to offer. It is especially important when you are fresh out of university, looking for your first full-time opportunity. Since there is often very little to separate candidates on their CV’s - similar degrees, skills and volunteer work - the cover letter can add strong, interesting and supportive information that catches the eye.

Like with your CV, there are certain unspoken rules to follow, so here is a checklist to make sure you tick the boxes recruiters are looking for.

Cover Letter Checklist

• ? One page maximum
• ? The letter should be set out in 4 clear paragraphs:

 1 Introduction: Sets out job applying for, reference number, where you saw the job advertisement.
  2 Good fit: Reason for applying, interest in company, understanding values and vision of the corporation.
3 Sell Yourself: How you meet all the hard and soft skills on the job description.
4 Extra information: Pertinant details that distinguish you from other candidates, further qualifications and qualities which add value to your application and the position.

• Sell yourself: Include details which enhance and support your CV, without directly repeating the information.
• Each letter should be tweaked to target the specific company and position.
• Avoid mentioning results, grades or marks which are less than 8 out of 10, as others may have higher grades, which could put you at a disadvantage.
• Research the company for basic facts, values, interesting projects, relevant people.
• Address the letter to a specific individual wherever possible, personalizing applications shows you’ve made an effort and helps you connect with the reader.
• When emailing applications, NEVER copy in multiple recipients in a blanket email to save time. It doesn’t make the recruiter feel very special!
• Double-check all details are correct; address, company name, person addressed to. Always highlight these areas in your template so you remember to change them.

Here are a couple of activities to help you:

Activity 1: Using Prepositions
Prepositions are unavoidable so ensuring they are used correctly is important to demonstrate your language skills are of the highest level. Incorrect use can cause confusion and misunderstanding.

Fill in the sentences below using the following prepositions; at, from, in or with.

1. I began my career ______ HSBC after graduating ______ Cambridge University ________ a BA and MA _______ Economics.
2. I graduated _______ 2009 _______ a BA (Hons) in Law _______ Princeton University.
3. I also obtained a BSc ______ Criminology ______ the University of Paris _____ 2011.
4. I read Chinese Language _______ Shanghai University.

Activity 2: Describing Qualifications
Use the following verbs to complete the sentences. Remember to change the verbs to the correct tense where necessary:

award, complete, graduate, hold, obtain, read.

1. I _____________ with a BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2010.
2. I _____________ Law at Oxford University. Then I _____________ a Master’s in Business at the London School of Economics, which included a semester studying at Yale University in the USA and a three month work placement at Price Waterhouse Cooper in their London office.
3. I _____________ a BA in Hotel and Catering Management from Newcastle University. In addition, I also _____________ an MBA in marketing.
4. After graduating from the Beijing University of Technology with a BA (Hons) in Civil Engineering. I was then _____________ a scholarship to Harvard University.

See answers below.

If you would like more information on how we can help you with your CV or interviews, check out our website: www.softskillslanguage.com or contact us on 910 251 789 or 656 455 770

Want to test your business language skills? Check out our next article The Business English Quiz.

Answers:

 Activity 1: Using Prepositions

 I began my career at HSBC after graduating from Cambridge University with a BA and MA in Economics.

1. I graduated in 2009 with a BA (Hons) in Law from Princeton University.
2. I also obtained a BSc in Criminology from the University of Paris in 2011.
3. I read Chinese Language at Shanghai University.

 Activity 2: Describing Qualifications

1. I graduated with a BA in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2010.
2. I read Law at Oxford University. Then I completed a Master’s in Business at the London School of Economics, which included a semester studying at Yale University in the USA and a three month work placement at Price Waterhouse Cooper in their London office.
3. I obtained a BA in Hotel and Catering Management from Newcastle University. In addition, I also hold an MBA in marketing.
4. After graduating from Beijing University of Technology with a BA (Hons) in Civil Engineering. I was then awarded a scholarship to Harvard University.