The Cover Letter
In this time of economic turbulence and people losing their jobs, you need to do the best you can to sell yourself well when you are looking for a job.
The first impression anyone gets of us is the cover letter. Therefore you need to be really thorough when preparing a cover letter. You want to show the organisation you are approaching that you are the person they are looking for and you will be an asset to the company.
Here are a few guidelines to follow when designing your cover letter.
Firstly, use good quality paper. Avoid bright colours, ornamental borders and unprofessional fonts. You need to show the organisation that you are professional from the onset.
Secondly, put your address and PHONE NUMBER in the top right corner of the letter. This will save the organisation time when they are trying to contact you for an interview. Include an email address as well.
Find out the title and name of the person you are addressing the letter to. Not only does it show that you have interest in the organisation, it also flatters the person. We all like it when we are addressed personally by name. Try not to write vaguely ‘to whom it may concern’ or ‘to the HR Manager’.
Have a heading in the centre of the letter. These days, there is no need to put ‘RE:’ before the heading. You can simply put: “Application for Marketing Manager Position”.
The first paragraph should contain details about your qualifications and experience relevant to the position. Refer to the advertisement, stating where you heard about the position. If someone told you about the position, mention their name and state that they recommend you for the position.
If the advertisement included any key words and skill phrases, describe yourself as such so they see that you are what they are looking for, at least on paper.
The next few paragraphs should make a short statement about your future career objectives and when you would be able to start if appointed. Make mention of your enclosed resume/CV and any other certificates/reference letters.
Close by reminding the reader that you will be waiting for their response and make sure you sign it. The cover letter should be stapled to the CV.
A cover letter is nothing to be lazy about so don’t have a generic cover letter for all your applications. You need a customised one for each position and company you apply for.
Avoid discussing salary issues in the cover letter. You may sell yourself short if you do. Rather provide your recruitment consultant with your salary information. If you have to give salary information, don’t be too specific. Give ranges of figures and do not go into detail about the string of benefits you receive or would like to receive.
Probably most important of all, make sure you check spelling and grammar. If English is not your first language, you can always ask a friend or consultant to help you check the grammar. Word processing programs all have spell checks these days so you really have no excuse for spelling errors.
It is a good idea to read more and read widely, looking up new words you don’t understand in a dictionary. This is the best way that your grammar and spelling can improve.
In short a good cover letter will be employer-centred and it will grab the reader’s attention and tell the employer you can do the job. It should have powerful selling words and make the reader want to call you for an interview.
These tips will help you a long way in securing a job interview when you apply for a job. Next time we will discuss the requirements of a good CV.
Thembani C is a Recruitment Consultant with CVPeople Africa. They specialise in recruitment and related consultancy in Africa.
Posted by Thembani Chikowore
on November 22, 2008. Filed under Local News.
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