Writing a good cover letter is just as important as writing a good CV, so here is a quick guide to making yours stand out!
A cover letter is more than a summary of your CV, but a chance to elaborate further on specific skills the job description is looking for and explain why you want the role. Here is a basic structure of a cover letter that goes alongside your CV.
Your Address (Should be the same as the address on your CV)
Include your contact number.
The Name of the addressee,
The Address of the company,
Followed by the Date.
Dear (Name of person you are writing to/Company HR),
State what the position you are applying for and where you saw it. You may include why you feel you are suitable for the job, but keep it concise!
Expand on the skills you mention in your CV. Remember, it is good to say what your strengths are, but employers are interested in what you have done to prove your strengths. What tasks and challenges have you been faced with and what did you do to overcome them?
Even if a past job does not directly relate to the position you are applying for, the skills gained and a demonstration of you using those skills can still be impressive. For example, working in a cafe or coffee shop can get very busy, so successfully taking up to 4 orders at once is a demonstration of multi-tasking and working under pressure. Those two skills are transferrable to any work environment that requires you to take on a large workload.
Why do you want to work for the company? This is where you can show that you have researched the company and the role. Talking about the goals and aims of the company is a good way to show you have done some research. This is also a good opportunity to express a want for professional growth and tell the reader how you feel their work environment would be the best place for it to happen.
If you have the space (because cover letters should only be about one page long) you can reiterate some important points as a summary. This acts as a final reminder of what you can bring to the company and why you are best suited for the role.
Yours sincerely(if the recipient is named) or faithfully (if the recipient is unnamed),
Your full name
P.s.
Make sure you proofread your cover letter and CV over and over again. Get a friend or family member to give it a read so you can get a second opinion. Using the career centre of your university may also prove helpful. You can also talk to them about any anxieties you may be having about job searching. You can also message us on Facebook or Twitter and we can advise you as best we can!
Do you think cover letters are an outdated practice? Join the Student Hut Opinion Panel and let us know. You'll get 1000 reward points for signing up.
