The cover letter is just as important to the employment process as your resume. It is your first introduction and is used to convince the person reading your letter that they should take a good look at your resume.
To have greater impact, you should customize each letter you send out. Sending fifty copies of the same letter may lead a recruiter to think you do not have specific interest in any particular company or position. You should always try to send the letter to a specific individual. Never send a blind letter "to whom it may concern." Wherever possible address the person who is conducting the search.
Tell the recruiter what skills and behaviours you might bring to the role and what sets you apart, but strike a balance. We understand that everyone is pretty good in a resume, but laying it on too thick will raise eyebrows.
Follow up with a phone call if you don’t hear back.
Make sure you are easy to contact by providing your email address plus your mobile, home and work numbers. Any skilled recruiter will be very discreet about contacting you at work.
If you are responding to a specific job posting or employment advertisement, you should make reference to one or two of the items listed in the ad. Do not go overboard in explaining everything your resume already describes. Keep your cover letter short and simple. One page is enough.
There are many ways to write a cover letter. It is important that you show something of yourself - your own particular style. Tell us what you can offer. The important thing is not to bore the reader with another one of the many cover letters they receive. Keep it short and have a friend proof read it for you to avoid grammatical and spelling errors. Good luck! |
