Applications
How to write a cover letter that actually gets read
You might be wondering whether cover letters are still important, or even if they are read. Well, the simple answer is that in most cases they are crucial. You just will not know in advance whether this is an application where it will matter or not, so better be safe than sorry and include a great one.
Career Strategy
How to write a cover letter that actually gets read
You might be wondering whether cover letters are still important, or even if they are read. Well, the simple answer is that in most cases they are crucial. You just will not know in advance whether this is an application where it will matter or not, so better be safe than sorry and include a great one.
The CV tells the recruiter what you have done. A well-crafted cover letter will tell them who you are. Remember that if the hiring manager is an accountant, they will, by nature, be risk-averse, so reduce the risk.
In my days as a front-line recruiter, the vast majority of applicants included a cover letter. We read every single one. In many cases, we would have received a CV which was not particularly impressive, but the cover letter was so good that we decided to interview the candidate. Frequently, these candidates turned out to be better than their CV’s would suggest.
We would re-write the CV as best we could and then put the candidate forward to suitable vacancies as and when they arose. Our message to the employer on recommending the candidate was “their CV doesn’t do them justice. We believe they are a strong candidate for the vacancy”. Clients trusted our judgement and met the candidate.
We placed many such candidates over many years, all because they had written a strong cover letter.
Recruiters can smell an AI cover letter from a mile off
The easiest and laziest thing to do these days is to get Chat-GPT to write a cover letter for you. The problem is that many of the candidates you are competing against will do the same thing, resulting in a load of smooth, generic identical looking cover letter’s. Nobody stands out.
I have heard from employers who have some cover letters which looked quite good on first glance, but all referenced the same quite strange part of the job description in a very similar way. It was more than likely that all of these candidates had put the JD through an LLM and got out similar results.
That is a waste of everyone’s time and gets you nowhere. As I have said elsewhere, be more selective about what you apply for and put real time and effort into creating a personal cover letter which will stand out from the crowd.
Don’t make it too long
Aim for around 250-400 words and three paragraphs. If you have a name, address it to them, otherwise address it to Dear Recruiter.
Show that you know who they are
Say something about recent developments at the employer which excite you. This should come from your research, including Google News or an article on their website.
Make your elevator pitch
Tell a brief story about something you have done which is relevant to the requirements of the role. Be specific. Quantify outcomes. Include keywords from the job advertisement. Provide evidence.
Sign off well
Finally, express how keen you are to be interviewed for the role and thank them for their time in reading your CV and letter.
A great cover letter can set you apart from those that cannot be bothered to write one or produce something which little or no thought has gone into. We are looking to create as many competitive edges as possible. We will never know what will work, but eventually, something will.
As I said earlier, you need to put the work in. Quality beats quantity every time. I know job-hunting is a hard slog but those who show they will go the extra mile with their applications stand the best chance of getting an interview.
Don’t make it too long
Aim for around 250-400 words and three paragraphs. If you have a name, address it to them, otherwise address it to Dear Recruiter.
Show that you know who they are
Say something about recent developments at the employer which excite you. This should come from your research, including Google News or an article on their website.
Make your elevator pitch
Tell a brief story about something you have done which is relevant to the requirements of the role. Be specific. Quantify outcomes. Include keywords from the job advertisement. Provide evidence.
Sign off well
Finally, express how keen you are to be interviewed for the role and thank them for their time in reading your CV and letter.
A great cover letter can set you apart from those that cannot be bothered to write one or produce something which little or no thought has gone into. We are looking to create as many competitive edges as possible. We will never know what will work, but eventually, something will.
As I said earlier, you need to put the work in. Quality beats quantity every time. I know job-hunting is a hard slog but those who show they will go the extra mile with their applications stand the best chance of getting an interview.