Cover letters are an opportunity to:

• distinguish yourself by reflecting some of your personal style,
• highlight soft skills that may not be appropriate for a resume,
• address specific selection criteria, and
• provide context of why you are interested in the opportunity.

However, when hiring managers are inundated with applications, they can skip cover letters completely and simply look for key words and particular organisations in your resume.

So, what do you put in a cover letter?  Here are our top 3 tips:

1. Personalise

Where possible, personalise the letter by referring to the hiring manager directly by name (this demonstrates that you know how to do your research).

2. Do your research

Demonstrate that you have done some research into the organisation you are applying to and tailor your cover letter to the specific role.  A generic cover letter will likely waste your first opportunity to impress the hiring manager.

3. Tell a story

Don’t just repeat what is in your CV, instead use it to build up the story of you and your career.  Consider including a sample of your outputs to demonstrate your ability to do the job but keep it short (no more than one page).

Your CV is often the only document that the hiring manager will bring along to an interview.  Make sure that your CV stands alone and supports your application through the use of key words and target organisations.

Still want to know more?

Contact us on (02) 8021 0117 or send an e-mail to info@aptituderecruitment.com.au