COVER LETTER
The first thing a potential employer sees in your job application is the cover letter. This doesn’t just support your CV – it’s an opportunity for you to stand out from the crowd and persuade the recruiter to put you through to the next round. Be wary of spending hours on perfecting your CV at the expense of your cover letter. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to showcase how your skills and experience not only match the job but also their company. Within your cover letter you should be demonstrating your industry sector knowledge and continually link in these skills with the role you are applying for. With employers often receiving huge volumes of applications for each vacancy, you need to ensure that your cover letter makes a lasting impression. Here are some rules you’ll need to stick to if you want to increase your chances of success:
1. Be concise and to the point – keep it to one side of A4. 2. Use the same quality plain white paper you used to print your CV. 3. Include a named contact wherever possible to show you have sent it to them personally. 4. Relate your skills to the job advert and make a case for why the employer should want to meet with you. 5. Proofread – always double-check your spelling and grammar without relying on a computer spellcheck program. 6. Target the company by tailoring your cover letter for each application. 7. Page layout should be easy on the eye, set out with the reader in mind. 8. Check to make sure you’ve got the company name and other key details right. 9. Read it and cut out any unnecessary words or sentences. 10. If sending electronically, put the text in the body of the email rather than as an attachment to avoid it being detected by spam filters. 11. Stick to your own words, avoiding jargon and formal clichés.
ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE IS AN EXAMPLE COVER LETTER
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