Cover Letter Advice

Cover Letter Advice & Tip from IP Executive, Rotherham

Cover Letter advice, top tips

Writing a good CV is not the only requirement when applying for a job. For most job applications, a good cover letter can make the difference between getting the interview… or not.

Providing a good cover letter can help sway the balance when your application is being considered, it helps provide a greater perception of you and can highlight and explain key areas of skill and personal aspirations.

Here is some advice to help your cover letter stand out:

Highlight
When writing your cover letter be sure first that you truly understand what the recruiter is looking for. If you understand the key skills, experiences and requirements then you can reflect this within your own skills.

Convey your experiences and skills with a brief explanation, highlighting with examples your own achievements. You should effectively ‘sell yourself’ with your skills, capabilities and experience.

Keep it Short
Recruiters and hiring managers can often have hundreds of applications to review. So it pays to have a clear and concise cover letter limited to just a few concise paragraphs, try to keep it to one side of A4.

Research
If required, check who the letter / application is to be addressed to. In addition do some general research on the company and their competitors as you may be able to include this, tailoring your skills and experience with relevance to the company. This will demonstrate you have cared enough to do more than simply send a generic letter.

Proof Read
As you would do your CV, proof read your cover letter. Don’t simply rely on spell check. Read and check for spelling, correct use of grammar, then ask someone else to check it for you. Don’t forget to double check the spelling of the company name  and who the application is to be addressed to. Any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will stand out and show you haven’t taken care…….. don’t let simple errors let you down.