OK, we’ve settled your strategic approach to the Cover Letter. It’s time to move to practical matters.
The best Cover Letters are infused with energy, personality and key details about your skills and achievements. Here’s how to do it.
Attach the Cover Letter as a separate document.
If the employer receives loads of applications, they may use the presumed lack of a letter as a way of screening out applicants. So, make it is clear that you have written one.
Use the same font and font size as you have in your résumé.
Do not use Times New Roman, Arial or cursive fonts. The current go-to font is Calibri 11 point and I also like Corbel 11 point. The look you’re after is stylish, modern and serious.
Address critical components of the role.
Identify keywords from the job ad and sprinkle them throughout your letter. Specify 5-6 key afghanistan phone number library elements from your experience/qualifications that match the job. Draw parallels when there is no exact fit, painting a clear picture of how your transferable skills make you worthy of consideration.
Be precise.
Avoid vague phrases such as, ‘In a recent role’. Use exact job titles and company names. Make sure that the recipient’s name and title are correct. Check that you have included the exact spelling of the organisation’s name.
Keep your letter to one page only.
For private sector roles, the expected length is one page. However, don’t ‘cheat’ in relation to layout by cramming too much in. You still need normal margins and your letter needs to look good on the page.
Obey current conventions of a letter.
This is SUCH a tricky issue: Cover Letters are at a very awkward stage where some of the old rules have been dropped but some still remain. Here are a just a few points to get right. Use the full title, name and street/email address of the person to whom you are writing. Do not include your own name and address at the top of the page. Check that you are obeying modern style rules in relation to punctuation.
Keep your paragraphs short.
There is a rule of thumb that our attention spans are so short now that no-one will read a paragraph that is longer than two and two-thirds lines long. Use bullets, if you like, to break up blocks of heavy text but restrict these to 5-7 and include space between each bullet.
Follow Up.
Finally, follow up the letter with a call. Continue the sales process by sounding like someone they would like to work with – alert, intelligent and enthusiastic. (Don’t ask about salary!)