This might surprise you, but when it comes to your cover letter, it’s not all about you!
If you’re shaking your head in disagreement, you need to read on. Of course, you should use the opportunity to outline your key achievements, but it’s not just about that.
These five expert tips will show you how to elevate your cover letter to one that stands out…in a good way.
NB: When I say cover letter, this includes cover emails. That just doesn’t have the same ring to it!
1. Get Personal
If you’ve read any of my blogs about writing CVs, you will know how important it is to tailor your CV to each job. The same is true of cover letters.
A great first step is to address your letter to the hiring manager. Sometimes their name is on the job advert. Sometimes it might take a little investigation to find out. If you cannot find their name, then use a gender-neutral term like ‘Dear Hiring Manager’.
The bare minimum of tailoring required is to include the job title and company name that you are applying for. This should be in your opening paragraph.
Pro Tip: If you remember no other cover letter tips from this article, please remember that you should tailor your letter more than that!
Read on to find out how…
2. Introductions First
Much like writing a CV, you need a strong opener on your cover letter.
The purpose of this opening paragraph is to give the reader enough information to make them read on, without scanning! That is a hard standard to meet, but it is achievable.
From the first sentence, you want to let the reader know who you are and why you would be an asset to their company. You want to be professional, but don’t be afraid to let a little personality shine through.
This is one reason you don’t want to rely too heavily on AI to write a cover letter. It may be useful to give you a structure, or prompt ideas, but it is no substitute for YOU! Recruiters aren’t interested in hiring a robot, they want a real person. Demonstrate your style and character in the way you write.
Pro Tip: Read your cover letter out loud when you are finished. If it doesn’t sound natural, it probably doesn’t sound like you.
3. Time To Shine
The most important way you can tailor your cover letter is to explain why your skills and experience make you a great candidate for this job.
You don’t have a lot of space so make it count! Highlight your key relevant skills and/or experience. The relevance is important. Please don’t waste valuable space describing your experience working on a farm if you’re applying for a job in an office.
Obviously, I’m being a bit silly with that example to make my point, but make sure the experience you mention, is worth mentioning!
Pro Tip: Use the same vocabulary from the job description to describe your experience and skills. This will help make it easier for the recruiter and Applicant Tracking Systems to see how relevant your experience is.
4. This Job Vs Any Job
Remember when I said that this cover letter isn’t all about you? This is what I mean.
You should also explain why you want to work for this particular company. Something made you apply for this job when you discarded others. Think about the reason for that.
Consider how you align with the company’s values and culture. This is a chance to demonstrate that you have done a little research into the company. What do they value as an organisation? Is that important to you too? Do you have experience in implementing those values?
Pro Tip: Focus on how you will help the company work towards its strategic goals. This helps demonstrate your value, and shows that you’ve learned about their strategic goals.
5. End on a High
We started by making an impact, your cover letter should end with one too.
A confident close to your letter will help leave your reader with a good impression, so take time to craft this section too.
You can thank your reader for their time and for considering you for the role. Aside from being polite, this also helps to reinforce your suitability and prompts them to think about how relevant your experience is. If you have done a good job with the rest of your cover letter, this should be an easy comparison for them!
Pro Tip: Use a call to action like, ‘I would be happy to discuss this further in an interview’ or ‘I look forward to hearing from you to discuss my experience in more detail.’
Summary
You can see from my cover letter tips, that a cover letter is not all about you.
As we’ve learned, it is essential to tailor your cover letter to explain why you would be a great fit for this role. You will outline your relevant skills and experience, but you will also show your research into the company. After all, you applied for this job over others, explain why.
At the end of your letter, you will also invite your reader to find out more about you. Opening this dialogue could be the first step to your next exciting role.
Good luck!
Pro Tip: If you don’t have the time, or inclination, to write your cover letter yourself, I can also do this for you. I also offer a D.I.Y. option which includes a handy guide and template letter with prompts for each section. Find out more here.