SWIFT CAREER SOLUTIONS

The Cover Letter:

Should you include one with your job application?

There is much debate in the Employment/Recruitment industry as to whether jobseekers need to accompany their Resume with a Cover Letter. Some recruiters/employers admit that they never read or pay much attention to Cover Letters, while others perceive the Cover Letter as a very important document. Understandably, this causes a lot of confusion for jobseekers.

As a rule of thumb, it is best to assume that the Cover Letter will be read by a recruiter/employer and is just as important as your Resume. Therefore, you should always compliment your Resume with a carefully crafted, well written and targeted Cover Letter (unless specified not to). Whether you are applying for a specific advertised position, or marketing yourself for potential work, your Cover Letter needs to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the position requirements and detail why you are suitable for the role.

Keep it Concise: A Cover Letter should not exceed one page (A4), contain 3-4 paragraphs that are targeted to the position, and written in the same font and size as your Resume.

Make it Personal: Address your Cover Letter to a real person and avoid using ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern’. If you are not sure who to address it to, call the company direct to find out, or use ‘Dear Recruitment Officer at (Name of Company)’.

Read the Job Advertisement Carefully: Ensure you understand exactly what the key criteria and/or position requirements are. If you are sending a generic Cover Letter for future opportunities, do some background research on the company and make reference to what you have learnt and what you can offer them.

Highlight what matters most: Address the key criteria/job requirements listed in the job advertisement by highlighting your qualifications, key competencies, skills, knowledge, experience and achievements relevant to the position. Provide strong examples that clearly demonstrate your skills and talents and how enthusiastic you are about the position.

Structure your Letter: The structure of your Cover Letter is extremely important and sentences should flow nicely, to avoid the reader becoming confused or overwhelmed. Start your Cover Letter with a brief introduction, such as ‘I am very interested in applying for the Dump Truck Operator position that was advertised on your website.’ Group information together, such as your qualifications in one paragraph, experience in another and personal attributes in another. End your letter by thanking the person for their time and indicate your eagerness for an interview.

Include information that you couldn’t in the Resume: Your Cover Letter is a great place to mention relevant information that could not be included in your Resume, such as your commitment to relocating, or undergoing a drug and alcohol test.

Proofread: Read through the Cover Letter several times and amend any spelling or grammatical errors. Ensure the person’s name and/or company details you are addressing the Letter to, as well as your personal details, are accurate and spelt correctly.