Think that writing a cover letter is just a nice added extra? Think again! Here are the five reasons you need to nail your cover letter….
1.Your cover letter is arguably MORE important than your CV
Your cover letter is the first thing your recruiter is going to read. If it’s confused, generic or poorly written, your whole application could be going straight in the bin! Why waste time with an applicant who can’t communicate clearly, or worse, who couldn’t be bothered to put the effort in?
2. Your CV lists what you know, your cover letter says who you are
Yes, the point of a cover letter is to start building a picture of you, in the recruiter’s eye. Your CV may be about skills and previous roles, but the cover letter is about you, today! Passionate? Keen? Lion tamer? Make yourself stand-out from the crowd!
3. The purpose of a cover letter is to get you an interview
No cover letter in the world will get you a job, but plenty will ensure you don’t! A well written cover letter creates that oh-so-important first impression. It intrigues the recruiter and makes them really want to go on to read the CV. It puts you in the ‘interview’ pile and not the ‘thanks, but no thanks’ bin.
4. Your cover letter tells the story of you
A great cover letter has a beginning, middle and end, just like a great story. And yes, a good plot twist can help too! Include something you do outside of work, that has great transferable skills. It not only makes you stand out from the crowd, but helps the interview panel with an easy first questions! “I understand you are a lion tamer in your spare time? Tell us more!”
5. It’s a love letter to a specific person, and you want to hear back
No one ever got a first date by writing “Dear Sir / Madam” or “To whom it may concern”, and neither will you! Find out who to address the letter to and make sure you let them know how to contact you. By the time they have read about how great you will be for their business, they will surely want to know!
