A cover letter is the first document a recruitment manager or human resources manager will read before they read your Résumé. It is fair to say what is in your cover letter is critical to your Résumé making any progress through the candidacy process and onwards to an interview.
Most employers will discard or disqualify a Résumé that does not have an accompanying cover letter. Why? Because it gives the potential employer the impression that you can’t follow instructions or are displaying a lack of effort, particularly if a cover letter was specifically asked for.
Your Résumé may detail your expert skills and accolades but does not give the recruitment manager an insight into you as an individual as a cover letter will.
#How long should a cover letter be?
Ideally, your cover letter should be one A4 page in length as it is only a summary. Your Résumé will give in-depth information about your career history, skills, achievements and attributes.
#What should your cover letter entail?
Your cover letter is indeed a letter addressed to your potential employer so should firstly include the basics such as:
A cover letter is a perfect opportunity for you to sell your key strengths confidently to grab the reader’s attention. This will increase the likelihood of your Résumé progressing through the selection process.
Use your cover letter as a summary to demonstrate your experience in relation to the job description, to convey that you are enthusiastic about the role and to outline what value you would add to the company.
Lastly, ensure there is a call to action. Ask them to read your attached Résumé and state that you look forward to hearing from them regarding the application.
#Check and re-check!
Before you email or send the cover letter with your Résumé to any potential employers, ensure you have done a spell check to rectify any spelling mistakes and check for any grammatical errors.
Don’t add any lengthy details from your Résumé, a cover letter is simply a summary of you as a candidate.
Ensure you don’t start every sentence with “Iâ€. Rewrite your sentences if necessary to be more compelling.
Cover letters go hand in hand with Résumés, so if you are serious about winning that job you are applying for, be sure to have one professionally written.
Professionally written cover letters take into account strategic keywords that hiring personnel are looking for.
When shortlisting from a large candidate pool, hiring personnel will be ruthless in their selection criteria and your cover letter gives the first impression of you as a fitting candidate.
Make sure your cover letter shines above all others by calling the professional Résumé and cover letter writers at All Résumé Services Gold Coast on 0410 934 371.
All Résumé Services have over 30 years in Résumé writing experience and are here to assist you with Résumé writing, cover letters, selection criteria, LinkedIn profiles and job interview preparation.
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