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Have you heard before the phrase saying: in front of each CV, there is a great cover letter? Well, that is true since it is your introducing tool, the one who well reveals your personality and leave the first impression on your future employer.
If the CV is seen as the set of facts/stats related to your application, the cover letter gives you the opportunity to show your real self and go in depth beneath the surface.
But before showcasing the best way to write catching cover letter, let’s start by understanding the goal of it.
- The aim of a cover letter
While the CV is the element that introduce you to the recruiter, the cover letter is the mean by which your application goes beyond just data and numbers to a more personal and interesting level.
This means that; the purpose of a cover letter is to give more information and details than the CV, giving the candidate a chance to explain his experience, true values, vision to finally create emotion in the reader. In fact, by the end of the letter, the recruiter should be discovering your CV with a great eagerness to meet you.
The cover letter is your chance to get personal, because even if you try to adapt your CV to each job you apply for which is impossible, the cover letter remains the right way to adjust your application to the job requirement and to answer the question why you are exactly applying for this job in this specific company?
As a consequence, each cover letter must be authentic and unique, that why we advise candidates to avoid taking or downloading ready to use cover letter templates and to craft their own model or get the help from an expert.
- The cover letter structure
Even if a cover letter must be personalized, catchy and memorable, it needs to follow a specific format, including those elements:
- A distinguished introduction
- Some specific examples of how you meet the post requirement and matches the company value and culture
- A brief conclusion with call to action
The way you craft and fill in those three sections is often where people make mistakes. This indicates that each candidate should take time and put in a lot of effort to make his cover letter distinguished, which will give him the chance to differentiate his applications from other applicants and elevate from a basic to a flawless cover letter.
- The cover letter introduction
Everyone know that recruiters are flooded with hundreds of CVs each day and according to statistics, they spend only 6 seconds scanning a CV, and this apply also to your cover letter.
But this never means that you can botch your cover letter, don’t forget that your objective is to catch the recruiter attention and make him interested in your person.
To do so your introduction must be powerful and impactful.
So before even starting take your time to search for the recruiting manager name, track his profile on LinkedIn then address your letter directly to him/her.
Make sure also you know the basics information about the company, their culture, visions and choose the right tone of voice to showcase that you are the perfect match for the job.
However, be careful when you try to match the job requirement don’t try to hide or deny your true personality to get the job, your difference and unique traits are your biggest asset.
Finally, make sure that your introduction is original and catchy, therefore don’t use mundane words like creative and dynamic, instead go in depth and use terms that needs a little bit of reflexion, words that start question in the recruiter’s head.
4.The cover letter body
The body of the cover letter is the ideal place to explain your path and show your uniqueness, however it should never be too long.
So, you better divide it to three paragraphs and keep your sentences short and succinct.
You cover letter is not the place to rehearse your CV or tell the story of your life! Instead think of it as an appetizer, which will make recruiters want to find out more about you, through your CV or job interview.
Use a storytelling technic, by which you will tell:
1.How you perfectly meet the job requirement;
2.How you match the corporate culture and share the same vision with the company.
Your future employer must feel that you will push the company forward and that you are able to add value to the company.
To do so you need to understand the job description, select the most important elements for the company, then choose some few examples from your experience to demonstrate that you have the required skills or the right experience in the post they need.
The body of your cover letter should also demonstrate your ability to solve problems with exact examples, numbers and even statistics.
Don’t forget to keep your tone of voice and language aligned with your introduction, everything must be cohesive and flawless.
Show your personality and style of work by writing with enthusiasm and dynamic.
- The ending of the cover letter
The final step is to create a strong and engaging closing.
Your conclusion needs to have a clear call to action, it must also include the reasons to make your future employer want to meet you.
For example, you can say that you will be pleased to get a chance to explain more about how your experience and personality are the perfect match for the job.
Finally, ad your number and email address.
Extra tips:
- Get rid of general and overused sentences.
- Be honest with your cover letter, do not try to oversell yourself or change facts.
- Get the help of a friend or a professional by making him read your letter and provide you with the right advices.
- Take your time to create an appealing visual, adopt an A4 format and include whitespace.
- Ditch gimmicky fonts or template but privilege: italic, bold and bullet points.
Crafting an appealing and flawless cover letter is time consuming, but it is worthy, since it will make the recruiter read you resume with interest, enthusiasm and an idea that you are the right candidate for the post.
