What are some tips for writing a great cover letter?
Replies12
- Hey Eva,I just wrote an artcile over on Medium offering advice on writing cover letters to get jobs in advertising and creative industries. Hopefully you'll find the tips useful. Good luck!https://medium.com/this-here/how-to-nail-an-advertising-cover-letter-7e9993b9aadcJem
- Sounds pretty elementary but double-check you've spelt the name of the company corrently. As much of 10% of our applicants get this wrong. In a crowded field they rarely go through to interview.
- In addition to what's been said (short and sweet, show your personality, etc) Be sure to mention why you think you'd be a great fit for the company, too. Otherwise it'll feel like a generic form letter. Companies want to feel special. Ha.
- Hi Eva, my advice is to keep your cover letter really brief and punchy. No one wants to read a long cover letter and Ive known them to put people off. Pick a couple of great highlights and make them stick out.Hope this helpsJ
- Hello @Eva Kariuki. For me, number one tip when writing a cover letter is to be yourself by expressing your passion with the employer. Always related to the job post, it shouldn't be long (max 1 page), but definetely show them how you link your skills with what's required. Good luck :)
- Hi Eva, as there are so many cv's coming through at the moment and the time HR/Recruiters have to read them is limited it's really important to make your covering letter easy to read and concise. I always appreciate short, well written bullet points or paragraphs rather than long periods of text. When skim reading cover letters, it always stands out when the candidate has picked out key aspects of the JD and referred to these in their cover letter.
- When I look at CVs and cover letters, I want to see the words written by the person applying, not something taken out of templates. Sometimes even a one liner like - I am a user of your product, I love it and would like to make others happy by contributing - is enough. I agree with the mentors below - the cover letter should not be a shorter version of the CV - quite the opposite. If you want someone to review your cover letter - reahc out - glad to help :)
- Hi Eva,In addition to the great advice below I would bear in mind that the cover letter needs to provide information that your resume does not: personal/ professional context, motivation, goals, future plans, etc. When recruiting I check the resume to understand the experience, project scope, etc however the cover letter helps me understand who is the person behind those professional experiences.Hope this helps!
- Hi Eva. The best advice I can give is make sure it's anything BUT a letter.The best approaches I have seen have been the most creative. The CV and letter work together as a wonderful introduction to the person and it makes a refreshing change from people churning out the same old stuff they've read from the web.Think of it like a newsletter, an intro to a book, a movie trailer or a webpage. Format it accordingly (depending, of course, on the role you're going for and the company) - however, trust me, when you're reading through a whole load of letters and CVs, it is blessed relief when someone creates something standout, different and relevant.The medium will often do the heavy lifting for you that a letter simply can't.So, step out of the normal and be different. Remain true to who you are and what you're about and find a way of bringing that to life that exists outside of a piece of A4 paper (unless you do origami which of course would be fun!).Stay Boom!
- To add to what's already been said, I would mention that you're able to adapt quickly to changing organizational needs and capable of working with ambiguity. These are critical skills with all of the changes organizations are facing due to COVID-19.
- @Laura Watts Agree - I would add keep your 4 paragraphs down to 2-3 snappy, crisp sentences each. Match the tone of the business you're applying for (if they're quite informal and chatty, be so too. If it's a law firm, be more formal). Write like you're someone you'd like to meet/hang out with.
- Keep it to a page. No more than 5 paragraphs (4 is even better). The best tip I got recently was to pop in some headings like "Why I'm suited for the role", "How I work best", "Why me" etc. In a world where there might be loads of people applying for just one job, you want to make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to know who you are and why you would be best for the role. Good luck!
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