Compiling your Cover Letter is obviously very critical to one’s job search, and for this post I will be covering some critical aspects that I feel are important for applying to the jobs that you see fit.
Let’s start with the cover letter…
Writing an original cover letter is the first step to proving that you are the right candidate for the job on offer. It’s not hard to write a reliable and official cover letter, however, the difficulty lies in ensuring that is original and unique. Stay away from being generic and rather try to stand out. Get your application checked by family and friends to ensure that there are no mistakes as this will increase your chance of getting the job.
More often than not, cover letters are quickly read over, therefore it is critical that every sentence is perfect. Specifically, pay attention to your first sentence in your cover letter as this is the first impression recruiters will get.
If you absolutely cannot think of an ingenious opening sentence then a friendly start that avoids the typical standard sentence (“I hereby apply …”) will do. Don’t feel hopeless if you can’t create the perfect opening sentence; ask a friend to help or even better, place emphasis on the body of your letter. Use the right tone when writing your cover letter and make sure you convey an effective self-presentation excluding self-praise and exaggeration.
The most important components of the cover letter
1. The cover letter should have the usual format
2. Easy to read, stylistically correct and free from errors
3. No standard line as an opening sentence
The following questions should be addressed
Who is the applicant?
What do you have to offer?
What are your strengths?
Why are you the perfect candidate for this job?
Prepare you application / cover letter on a PDF document, along with all of you other documents so that nothing can be edited without your consent. The length of your cover letter should not exceed one page.
If the job offer is short then it is worth trying to get as much information as possible about the department that is advertising the position and its day-to-day business because you need to indicate that your profile is a perfect match.
In my conclusion, it is important not just to mention that you are suitable for the job and are able to work as part of a team, but that you also show why and on the basis of which experiences.
