CV Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Cover Letter

Ah, cover letters. While it seems like a pain to write a new cover letter for every job you apply for, it’s arguably the most important part of any application.

Your cover letter will usually be read before your resume, and sets the tone for your suitability for the role. So, if it isn’t great, you can be guaranteed the reader won’t be looking any further.

(TL;DR: no matter how impressive your resume is, you need to get your cover letter right if you want an interview.)

Here’s what you need to think about when you sit down to write that cover letter.

Resume v Cover Letter: Do you need both?

Short answer: yes! While a resume includes your experience, education, extracurricular activities and references, a cover letter requires you to choose the experiences that are most relevant to the specific job you’re applying for.

You have to clearly explain why you’re the right candidate for the position, but also set out why you are interested in the business and its work. Is it the industry that excites you? Is it the company’s clients, its reputation, or its culture? Don’t just make it clear why they should want you; make it clear why you want them.

In this regard, research is everything, so do your homework and think hard about why you want this job at this company.

Formatting, formatting, formatting…

First impressions are everything. Your cover letter should be clean, well set out and professional looking. There are plenty of tips and tricks floating around the internet about how to set out a cover letter, but be sure to follow basic letter-writing principles and ensure your letter is addressed to the relevant person.

If a contact person isn’t listed on the ad, do some research or even call up and ask who’s looking after the applications. It might seem like a small thing, but in a pool of solid applications, that attention to detail will set you apart.

Your cover letter shouldn’t exceed one page, so make sure you’ve refined your points and communicated economically. Every word counts. And when you’ve finished drafting it, edit, edit and edit some more. Read it out loud. Have someone you trust to give honest feedback look over it.

Not only will this ensure that your cover letter is impressive, but it will mean you have a great template to customise for future job applications. If you do it right the first time, it’ll save you time later on down the track.

Use the selection criteria!

When thinking about how to construct your cover letter, the selection criteria on the job ad should act as a guide. Look at each requirement and choose an experience that demonstrates you meeting it. This might seem clinical, but it will ensure you don’t miss any of the criteria, and the reader will see that you’ve ticked off each requirement.

You want to make the reader’s life as easy as possible, and clearly demonstrating that you’ve met the job requirements and understand the position does exactly that.

Okay, got it. So, what now?

Now, write it! You’re awesome; you just gotta explain why you’re awesome.

Give yourself plenty of time to write a couple of drafts and review it before you send it off. No one likes a typo. May the (cover letter) odds be ever in your favour!

Photo: NBC