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A good cover letter is essentially a sales document, designed to convince
the employer of what an asset you will be to the company. It complements your resume, which should add credibility to your claims.
When designing a cover letter, remember the employer is probably receiving hundreds of
applications for any one job. They will be stressed out and very, very busy. You have a window
of opportunity of no longer than 30 seconds to convince them to take your application to the
next step and read the resume. And while it is unfortunate that employers can make a decision
about your career in less than 30 seconds, it reinforces the importance of spending time on
your cover letter.
But the cover letter is not just a time saving tool for employers, it can also provide an
insight into your personality and how you express yourself. This helps to build an overall
picture of you and, as it is the first impression, it is crucial you get it right.
As with all busy people, being concise, meticulous and relevant is paramount. It reflects badly
on you if you express yourself poorly or you don't get to the point. There are three basic
things you need to communicate clearly and concisely to a potential employer in your cover
letter.
- The position you are applying for.
- The skills you bring to the company that satisfy the requirements of that position.
- The action you would like to happen next.
While there is no right way of doing a cover letter, here are some guidelines
that the experts recommend you consider:
Addressing the letter
Send letters to people, not companies. If you don't know the contact's gender
or proper title, then call the receptionist and ask. Never guess. If you can't find
out their gender, use their full name (eg Chris Smith). But ideally, address
your letter using an honorific (Mr or Ms), then their name, title, company name and address. If you are not responding to an advertised vacancy,
target the hiring manager and the head of the department you wish to work in.
Paragraph 1 — what you are applying for and why you are applying
State the purpose of the letter in first paragraph. If you have been referred by a mutual acquaintance, mention that person's name. If you meet all the stated requirements fill this out. Opening the cover letter with a
statement that grabs their attention and compels them to read more about you is a good idea.
However, it must be related to the position and the reason you are writing.
Paragraph 2 — stake your claim
Australians tend to under-sell themselves. Don't hide behind
a cloud of mystery because you expect the reader of the resume to be all-knowing.
Sell yourself. Not only match your skills and experience to the requirements of the
job, but make a point of offering them more. Every hiring decision, regardless of
the size of the company, is a significant investment in money for the employer. They
are hiring you to increase their bottom line or productivity. Be mindful of this when you
make your claims. Explain to the reader how employing you will benefit the company — don't leave them to guess.
Paragraph 3 — call to action and thank you
Always sum up with an action point and what you would like the next
step to be. Usually this is that you will be in touch. If you are
answering an advertised position, take a passive approach and wait
for them to process all the applications. If they are interested,
they'll call you. Chasing them up is just likely to annoy them.
In other situations, end the cover letter with a call to action
and take responsibility for initiating the next step. Say you will
call later and do it. Give them a couple of days to look it over
and then call. Ask politely if they have had time to look it over,
and if they haven't, ask when you should call back to discuss
your application.
Responding to a job ad:
John Hireperson
Director of Employee Relations
Sabroso Chorizo Inc
543 High St.
Mount Waverly, VIC 3067
Dear Mr Hireperson
I am responding to your advertisement for an editor for the bilingual employee newsletter at Sabroso Chorizo.
As you can see from my resume, I am fully bilingual as well as fluent in Chinese culture. Although my background is in human resources rather than journalism, I assure you that my communications and writing skills are strong in English and in Chinese. My current position at Tasty Treatmakers involves some writing, including bulletins and rewrites for an employee handbook, and requires strong organisational skills, as stated in your advertisement. I am familiar with desktop publishing software for Windows and for Mac.
I am eager to meet with you to discuss how my talents could be used to produce a compelling and informative newsletter for the diverse work force at Sabroso Chorizo. I will call next Thursday to arrange an appointment.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
(signature)
Susan Donovan
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