Put your best self forward
Your cover letter is an important opportunity to showcase your best self to a prospective employer. Make a great impression with copy that is strong, devoid of mistakes and responds directly to the job advertisement. Demonstrate how good you are with practical examples and keep the look and feel of your letter professional, with a simple yet eye-catching design.
Download our cover letter example
HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR COVER LETTER
1. Always include:
– Your name
– Your phone number
– Your email address
– The date that you are uploading the letter
– The name of the hiring manager or company contact and their position (if available)
– The name and address of the company that you are applying to
2. Address your cover letter to a specific person not ‘To whom it may concern’, which sounds generic. If you don’t have a name a simple ‘Hello’ will suffice.
3. Specify what role you are applying for, the job reference number and if it’s full time or part time ect…
4. Introduce and describe your professional self from a big picture perspective. What would you classify yourself as? eg sales expert, account management leader, design communications specialist? Briefly describe your overall career path to date and experience or skill set.
5. The next few paragraphs should explain your most recent roles as they relate to the position advertised. What were the main focus areas of these roles? What skills did you need or develop and how would you apply your knowledge to this new position?
6. Have you introduced new processes or changes that could be mentioned and quantified with numbers that would help to demonstrate your capabilities?
7. If you intend to relocate for the role, give your potential employer a start date or timeframe to work from.
8. Close the letter strongly – what is your key strength or attribute that makes you the ideal candidate for the role? Or is there an aspect of the role that really interests you? Let them know and reiterate how excited you are about the opportunity.
9. Signing off – ‘Kind regards’ or ‘Thank you’ are sufficient. There is no need for ‘Yours Sincerely’. While you want your letter to sound professional, it doesn’t need to be overly formal.
TIPS TO HELP YOU STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
- Customise each cover letter for every job you apply for. Tailor the content to ensure the copy responds directly to the skills and attributes the employer mentions in the job advertisement.
- Don’t repeat copy that’s in your resume in your cover letter and vice versa. Your cover letter is your opportunity to explain your past roles in detail using examples.
- If you get stuck demonstrating your strengths, use the situation, task, action, result (STAR) method. A sentence for each component that relates to a project or job you have worked on in the past will show in a practical sense your knowledge of a task and ability to generate results.
- Quantify project results or any statements you make about how good you are, with numbers or percentages.
- Include major achievements, awards or even a testimonial from a manager or client.
- Don’t mention any area or skill that you are lacking. Focus on your strengths only.
- Use success verbs such as accelerated, increased, decreased, contributed, eliminated, negotiated ect