Why you shouldn't hire a ghostwriter to write your cover letter

Cover letters can be more informative than entertaining and still serve their purpose. However, you want to project a semblance of personality through this mini-presentation, at least enough to pique a recruiter's interest.

As tempting as it might be to hire a ghostwriter to do the leg work for you, this is not only unethical, it doesn't guarantee a good cover letter.

Noone knows you like you do. A contracted ghostwriter is unlikely to write the perfect introduction for you to send with a job application. Instead, use the questions below to edit your letter in an introspective way.

Questions to ask yourself before submitting a cover letter

How can you write the perfect informative cover letter, with personality but precision? Take your first draft, and consider the following questions.

1. "Is this what I want them to remember about me, if they don't read past the first paragraph?"
2. "What would I take away from this letter if I only scan-read the first sentence of each paragraph?"
3. "If I didn't care about me, would I remember this story?"
4. "Why isn't this bit higher up?"
5. "Is this important enough to be included in the word count?"

Kill your darlings

The key to great editing is often to edit down, trim repetition, then trim some more. Don't hold onto your "darling" sentences for sheer artistic expression. Every clause needs to convey value.

Remember that not everything needs to be disclosed in the cover letter. If it's impactful, you will have a series of interviews during which you can share more wins, and more detail.

The above questions can guide you to realise what you're missing, or oversharing. Want more self-editing tips? Here are 4 more techniques to apply before hitting "send".

Once you're inevitably past the application stage and onto the interview, check out these insights into a recruiter's mindset.