Importance of Cover Letter

The first attempt of writing your cover letter seems like a particularly daunting task. However, if you take it one step at a time, you'll soon be an expert at writing letters to send with your resume. A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, so, it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters.

Importantly your cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression.  

Your cover letter should be designed specifically for each purpose outlined above as well as for each position you seek. Do not design a form letter and send it to every potential employer. Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organisation and identify your most relevant skills or experiences (remember, relevance is determined by the employer's self-interest). They should express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position.

Structure/Information

• Make sure to use plain font type (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, with size 12 as the font size).
• Ensure that you spread the text you place, with clear spaces and grammatical checks in place.
• When listing information about your qualifications and your work experiences please use bullet points as it allows recruiters to view information clearly without the need to read through your whole document.
• When you are writing about your past experiences and qualifications please start with your most current, then work your way backwards.
• We would also recommend separate paragraphs for your skills between your experiences including your qualifications.
• Go through the whole job specification carefully in order to allow you to understand what is required from you, the type of employee the company is seeking so that you can write more information that in fact relates to your applied role.
• Ensure to carry out background research of the company so that you are aware of how to structure your cover letter with the appropriate information being aware of the history of the organisation that you are potentially looking to work for.
• Do not create a generic cover letter for all jobs you apply for. Recruiters will know this.