Read our guide to understand how you can make your cover letter stand out in a highly competitive job market.
Producing tailored cover letters for each application you make might seem daunting, and there’s no doubt it can become a drawn-out process, but it’s essential you dedicate the time to compose targeted letters that will ensure you get noticed as a candidate.
Consider your structure
When starting to piece together ideas for your letter, it is important to consider the structure of your content. Make sure you have a clear introductory paragraph, briefly introducing yourself and restating the role you are applying for, before moving on to two to three paragraphs that address the following:
- Why are you interested in the specific opportunity?
- How do you meet the role requirements through your experience?
- Why do you want to work for the specific organisation?
As you build and form your paragraphs, you will also want to make clear to the reader how your skills and behaviours align with the person specification. Your letter should be concluded with a brief closing summary that reiterates both your enthusiasm and your interest in the role, before thanking the employer for their time and consideration.
Research is key
Not only will thoroughly researching the company, its employees, and the role itself help you to decide if you’re applying for the right opportunity, it will also put you in a better stead when producing compelling applications. A key topic that will need to be addressed will be why you are motivated to secure the role, as well as working for the company itself.
Avoid repeating facts and figures the employer already knows about their organisation, and instead, focus on their values and mission, their history and what makes it unique, and their future plans. When discussing these aspects of your research, ensure you make a clear link back to you as an individual, to your own experience, your own values, and why these aspects of the organisation resonate with you.
Always start afresh
As tempting as it can be to “recycle” the same content from previous applications (especially when applying for similar roles and/or organisations), a recruiter or hiring manager will easily spot this when reviewing your content. As indicated above, direct research about the organisation is essential and you have the opportunity to clearly theme your paragraphs around the key information you have, personally, identified as being of interest to you.
Grab their attention
Whilst your opening paragraph needs to act as an introduction to your application, make sure you include something within your first two to three sentences that is going to make the hiring manager read on. This could be something that particularly appeals to you about working with the organisation itself, or offering a direct reason as to why and how you would be an ideal addition to their team.
Be clear and confident
Clarity of thought and confidence in presenting why you are the best candidate will make for a more compelling read. Don’t be shy about expressing why they should hire you based on your experience, skills and attributes – all of which you should aim to mirror with the role description, requirements and priorities. Avoid simply stating that you have specific skills or experience and instead focus on using examples to evidence your suitability.
Relevant accomplishments and quantifiable examples
Something that candidates often fail to do throughout the recruitment process is to highlight relevant accomplishments. You might list an achievement on your accompanying CV, but if you choose to discuss this in more detail as part of your cover letter, you will need to address why it is relevant to the position and the organisation. What does this particular accomplishment tell the employer about you, and why does this matter?
Another hurdle candidates come up against is showing the impact of their skills, behaviours and actions by not offering quantifiable examples. By quantifying your performance in prior positions by discussing increases in customers, revenue generated, and/or improvements to customer or client satisfaction, you have the opportunity to demonstrate your value. In a competitive job market, it is important to make sure you are giving yourself every available advantage.
Be authentic
Although you will need to keep both your formatting and your use of language formal for the purposes of your application, try to be as authentic as possible by incorporating your voice within your content. Avoid using overly elaborate, flowery language that you would not typically utilise when speaking to a recruiter face to face. The ideas and examples you choose to draw on as part of your content will also be indicative of what matters most to you about the role and your experience.
Proofread, proofread, proofread
Whilst it should really go without saying, proofreading your content is essential. After all, you don’t want to stand out for the wrong reasons! It can also be helpful to recruit a second pair of eyes to review your content to identify any obvious mistakes you may have missed.
Overall, it is vital to not underestimate the importance of producing high-quality, tailored cover letters to support your applications. Remaining true to yourself through the content you present will, ultimately, put you in a stronger position when aiming to get through to the next stage of the recruitment process.
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