How To Write the Perfect Cover Letter

Your cover letter is your first opportunity to engage a prospective employer. View it as a marketing tool, as ‘bait’, to ‘hook’ the reader. The primary purpose of your cover letter, coupled with your CV, is to get an interview. Trying to get your cover letter noticed can be tough but if it is well written, direct, unassuming, and enthusiastic it can make you stand out from the crowd and ultimately ‘bag’ you your dream job!?

Use the template below as a guide to compile that all important cover letter:?

Contact Info:?Include this information at the top of the letter so recruiters do not have to search for it…and waste time!?

Greeting: ?Address your cover letter to the recruiter/hiring manager by name. You may need to search the internet for this information; in doing so you will show the reader that you are proactive and have done your research?

Intro Paragraph:?Make it clear that you know the company, what they do and what they care about – what are their values? Have they been in the news or won any awards recently? Putting this into your letter shows you have done your homework and are keen to work at the company, not just keen to have a job.?

Mention a few roles, projects, experiences, traits, or passions that make you the ideal candidate. When you are talking about a specific strength, explain exactly why that would benefit them. This is important because simply saying what you’re good at isn’t enough. They want to know how this will add value to what they do.?

Body Paragraph(s):?Incorporate keywords directly from the job description.?Whenever possible, include concrete metrics that illustrate the results you’ve achieved. Give specific examples of key achievements in your career. If you are at the start of your career and therefore lacking in experience, it's perfectly okay to talk about key achievements outside of work. Once again, make sure you relate this to the job; what skills did these require and how will this help you in the job??

Closing Paragraph:?A key academic skill is being able to form a structured written argument, including a conclusion that summarises your key points. Use this section to reaffirm your interests, passions, and qualifications, giving your personal statement a satisfying sense of closure.??

Additional:?Cover letters should be easy to read. When it comes to writing style always try and make it reflect your personality but never forget the aim is to sell yourself as an individual.??Keep the language professional, concise and pay careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.?Like a CV, keep the cover letter to one page.?Finally, be assertive at the end of the letter. Rather than ‘I hope to hear from you soon’, consider something along the lines of ‘I believe I can be a valuable addition to your company, I look forward to hearing from you.’?

Good luck!?

Lauren??