Cover Letter Best Practices

By Author: Kellie Whitehead
Total Articles: 26
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You have put hours of research and effort into perfecting your CV. You have employed all kinds of techniques be it expert advice, professional Cv builder, etc. So what's next? You know that these things only get a certain amount of ‘viewing time' from a prospective employee, so it is vital that that ‘all important' covering letter receives the same royal treatment.

Your covering letter is the introduction to your CV; it should leave the reader ‘wanting' more which will lead them onto important stuff.

Basically, your cover letter IS your first impression, and it's important not to treat it as an afterthought. Take heed of our advice on cracking that cover letter conundrum;

Make sure you send one! Obvious I know, but a lot of people see the easy way as not sending a covering letter at all! Maybe the application criteria didn't particularly specify? No matter. It is proper business etiquette to do so, so make sure you follow the rules!

Forget the essay. Whilst it is essential that you have a cover letter, it is just a taster for ...
... the main course that is your CV. There is no need to waffle endlessly. It needs to be readable and easily digestible.

Saying this, do not just send a ‘one liner' A very typical cover letter consists of the ‘ Dear Sir, I attach my CV for your perusal' line. This is as unacceptable as not sending one at all. Convince the reader they need to know more. If sending via email, it is even more important to keep the letter shorter than a hard copy.

Appropriate, please. Consider the tone of your covering letter. The language of a CV is largely perfunctory, and does little to show that sparkling personality you have. A cover letter is an opportunity to allow a more, friendly, personal tone. Keep it appropriate and relevant to the employer at hand. It can be endearing, but don't go too far.

The name of the game. Being too generic is not going to endear you to any hiring manager. It looks like you have scatter gunned the letter and CV to anyone and everyone, and shows little loyalty to acquiring any particular role. You must make sure you address and direct your letter to a real live person! Even if you have to do some work and find out who it is!. Your research will be rewarded. Don't forget to use ‘Dear Mr./Mrs? Dr. or Ms as opposed to first names.

It's all about them. Remember, it's all about what you can do for them, rather than what the company can do for you. Make the focus of your letter the fact that you will bring such undisputed brilliance to the company, how could they not hire you? Prove throughout your letter what you can bring to their table.

Proofread
Final check. It's really important that your letter and CV contain zero error. Even if your spelling skills are top notch, in this digital age, it is easy to get sloppy and trip up if you are customizing said letter over and over for different employers (as you should be) Make sure names are spelled correctly and never assume the gender of a hiring manager until you know for sure, as many names are ambiguous with regards to this.