{"id":122,"date":"2019-07-05T15:54:20","date_gmt":"2019-07-05T15:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.joblookup.com\/explore\/?page_id=122"},"modified":"2024-07-22T11:55:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T10:55:45","slug":"how-to-craft-a-compelling-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/how-to-craft-a-compelling-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Craft a Compelling Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re applying for a lot of jobs, then writing a cover letter for every single one might seem like more hassle than it\u2019s worth. However, much like editing your CV for each role you apply for, it\u2019s time very well spent, and an important part of your wider job search strategy (find out more about how to structure a successful job search in our Ultimate Jobseeker Guide<\/a>). Think of a cover letter as a brief overview of your skills and experience – a teaser that will coax a potential employer to read your CV in more detail.<\/p>\n

As with any part of the job seeking process, there are certain guidelines that can be followed to make your cover letter a real asset to your application. While some roles might not require a formal cover letter, it\u2019s generally worth sending one anyway, or using the body of your application email as a cover letter for all intents and purposes.<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/p>\n

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Cover Letter Layout<\/h2>\n
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Contact Details and the Company Address<\/b><\/p>\n

A cover letter is no different to a normal letter when it comes to layout – you should place your name, address, and additional contact details (like mobile number and email) in the top right corner. Beneath your contact details, on the left hand side of the page, you should include the company address, as well as the name of the person you are sending the letter to if you have it.<\/p>\n

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Section 1<\/div>\n
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Make sure to add the date, and always start your letter with \u2018Dear Sir\/Madam\u2019. If you\u2019ve got the name of the person you are sending your application to, then even better. It\u2019s a good idea to open your cover letter strongly. Begin by mentioning what role you are applying for, and then explain why you\u2019re the perfect match for the position. Back your statement up using your skills and experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Section 2<\/div>\n
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Next, you want to show why you\u2019re interested in the role. It can be good to include a few things that you like about the company you\u2019re applying to here as well. Saying you were impressed with a recent project, or award they\u2019ve won, shows you\u2019re taken the time to read up about them, and that you genuinely want to work there.<\/p>\n

Also explain what draws you to the position. It could be more of a challenge, an opportunity to expand your skill set, and so on. Don\u2019t simply mention the salary or that you don\u2019t like your current job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Section 3<\/div>\n
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Now\u2019s the time to go into a little more detail about what you can bring to the role, and why. Check the job description and try to highlight some of your skills, achievements and experience that match key role requirements. If you\u2019re applying for a sales job for example, then highlighting the fact you won salesperson of the month in your previous role is a good way to go. Don’t mention everything here however, the aim is to get the employer to read your well crafted CV<\/a> in more detail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Section 4<\/div>\n
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This is where you can wrap up by mentioning how keen you are to be a part of the company or organisation one last time, as well as adding in a few more supporting skills gained from hobbies, if they\u2019re relevant to the role. Make sure to end with a positive statement like: \u2018I look forward to hearing from you.\u2019, or something similar. \u2018Kind regards\u2019 or \u2018Yours sincerely\u2019 are good ways to sign your letter off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Two<\/p>\n

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Cover Letter Length<\/h2>\n
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It\u2019s important to remember that just like your CV, you\u2019ll want to keep your cover letter fairly short and succinct. One page is enough for most roles. If you\u2019re applying for certain specialist positions or writing a cover letter for an academic position, then you can opt for something a bit longer.<\/p>\n

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Finalising and Additional Application Steps<\/h2>\n
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Before you send your application, make sure to read through it at least twice. If you can, give it to a friend or colleague and get them to check it too. Even better, pass it to someone you know in a managerial position to get their feedback as well.<\/p>\n

Double check everything – you won\u2019t get a second chance if a potential employer sees glaring spelling mistakes or an unreadable mess of grammar.<\/p>\n

Now your cover letter is good to go, register with us<\/a> for access to a huge choice of jobs, and send off that application!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re applying for a lot of jobs, then writing a cover letter for every single one might seem like more hassle than it\u2019s worth. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":400,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-jobseeker"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4384,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122\/revisions\/4384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}