Cover letters are the introduction about what you have to offer the potential employer or recruiter, an opportunity to direct attention to specific material in your resume and allow you to clarify why you’re applying for this position. They are about portraying your personality, one or two skill sets and the reasons why you would fit that role you are applying for. You can make the specific or generic but in my experience, specific will always get the readers attention.
They don’t need to be more than a page long and about 4 paragraphs on a few topics. This is very different to selection criteria so please don’t confuse these.
An outstanding cover letter pulls together these key essentials:
- Introduce yourself, who you are, and why you are applying for this position
- Your personal attributes and why you are an ideal cultural fit for their organisation
- Highlight your key selling points (skills, experience or achievements)
- Encourage the reader to discover more about you through your resume
- How that experience will add value to their organisation
- Your personal attributes and why you are an ideal cultural fit for their organisation
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