Tips and Techniques
written by HJ Marano, FM Recruitment Services Pty Ltd

A cover letter is a professional letter included with your resume as part of a job application. It targets the skills and experiences particularly relevant for that job and employer.

Your cover letter is your opportunity to set yourself apart from the other applicants and to convince a potential employer or recruiter to interview with you.

Make sure your cover letter is not simply a summarised version of your resume. This will not add any value to your application as a whole, and will not send the right targeted message. Whereas the resume is about you, the cover letter is about how you can benefit the company.

Writing a cover letter gives you a personal voice which a resume is unable to provide. It is absolutely essential that you take the time to write a targeted cover letter.

There are six important points to remember when writing your cover letter.

1)    Address the job requirements / selection criteria

Most jobs will outline certain requirements or selection criteria in the job description. It is essential that you address these in your cover letter. Emphasise the skills and experiences which are relevant to the job requirements.

Do not mention salary expectations in the cover letter. Leave this for the interview.

Try to avoid using the same material in each cover letter. You do not want your cover letters to appear generic. They must be targeted and written with care.

2)    Be clear and concise

Your cover letter should not exceed one page. It is essential that you include only the most relevant information that can be digested quickly and easily. It is essential that you get straight to the point.

Leave spaces between paragraphs and use margins to make the cover letter easy to read.

3)    Use the appropriate voice

Your cover letter gives you a personal voice. This voice should exhibit assertiveness, positivity and honesty. Make sure you don’t come across as pushy.

Use the active voice rather than the passive voice as often as possible. The active voice is more direct, more concise and improves the clarity of content.

Compare these two examples of a sentence written in the passive voice versus the active voice.

Passive voice:

“Through drawing on strong interpersonal skills and through building rapport with clients, I built ongoing relationships.”

Active voice:

“I built ongoing relationships with clients through building rapport and drawing on my strong interpersonal skills.” 

4)    Use the right words

The words you use in your cover letter will determine whether it is logical, engaging and clear.

Avoid starting each sentence with ‘I’. Overusing ‘I’ sends the wrong message. The cover letter should be less focussed on you than a resume.

Refrain from using technical language and abbreviations. Do not use colloquial language.

Use action words in your cover letter to emphasise your achievements. Some examples of action words include:

 
Conducted
Coordinated
Created
Developed
Established
Formed
Founded
Implemented
Interpreted
Maintained
Managed
Organised
Produced
Provided
Streamlined
 

5)    Minimise grammar and spelling errors

Errors are highly unprofessional and will make a potential employer or recruiter question your abilities. You must proof-read your cover letter several times.

6)    Address the cover letter correctly

Endeavour to address the cover letter to an actual person. Most job advertisements will list the details of the appropriate person. If this information is not available, try to find out the name of the appropriate person.

Do not forget to include the job title in the cover letter and where you saw the job advertised to avoid confusion.

If submitting a cover letter in an email, be sure to include the reference number if there is one, the full job title and your name. Make it as easy as possible for the potential employer or recruiter to interpret the material.

Cover letter format

1.    Address the appropriate person.

2.    Explain the aim of the cover letter. Reference the job title and where you saw the job advertised and when.

3.    Discuss why you are interested in the position, the company and the industry.

4.    Discuss your experiences and skills which meet the job requirements. Explain how they will directly benefit the company. Use examples to illustrate your points.

5.    Indicate that you are eager to meet with them or talk with them further.

6.    Sign off using your full name and signature if possible.