Writing a cover letter
 |
To cover letter or not to cover letter
Should you include a cover letter in this age of electronic resume submission and decreasing attention spans? |
To cover letter or not to cover letter
A cover letter builds your case, linking your career history to the needs and specific requirements of the prospective employer.
As a mature applicant the cover letter give you an opportunity to:
- Point out the relevant components of your broad experience that relate to the position
- Provide proof of your communication skills
- Demonstrate your clear and organised thought processes
- Display your drive and passion for the position
|
Cover letter tips:
- Address the letter to a name, not a pronoun, or the name of the professional from the last position for which you applied
- Lead with a mention of the person who referred you to this position
- Customise, customise, customise - many job seekers make the critical mistake of sending a generic cover letter. This defeats the cover letter purpose, to make your experience relevant to the specific role
- Get to the "so what" of your experience. Quality over quantity - rather explain your leadership in one organisation than your membership of many
- Address any difficult issues in the second half of cover letter. Resume gaps are a good example. If you took 3 years to study the migration of red ants from your kitchen, perhaps address it here.
- Check spelling, grammar and faux pas
|
Don't forget that your cover letter must match your CV. It should emphasise certain points in relation with the job position and prove to be consistent. Check Adage's recommendations on how to write your resume!
Not too sure about the quality of your cover letter? Have your cover letter reviewed by Adage's experts.