Your CV details your background, skills and experience. Your cover letter will provide extra information about you.
The employer or recruiter will look on how do you sell yourself and if you have the right skill-set for the job. The cover letter will do the essential branding for you. You will need to show that your skills are aligned to the job, the motivation you have for the role and company and your added value.
Here some tips for a well-written cover letter:
- Address the letter correctly
- a. You need to address the hiring manager. Be formal, this is your first opportunity to make a good impression.
- Introduce yourself
- a. Start with your name and the position you are applying to. Mention that you feel ready for a new challenge and what appeals for you about the job and company
- b. Showing motivation can really help your cover letter stand out from the crowd.
- c. Do preliminary research about the company and check out the mission and vision. This can help you when mentioning why you want to be part of the company.
- Highlight your skills
- a. The cover letter should be tailored to the job you are applying. Show the skills and competences that match the job. The idea is to intrigue the reader enough to give your CV a chance and read it over and schedule and interview
- b. Choose 3-4 skills from the job and write a paragraph per skill. Example?
- Don´t mention what you are missing
- a. Todays market is very competitive. Don´t worry if you miss some skills, it´s difficult to find a candidate who has every skill. Don´t sell yourself short.
- b. Show the employer you are a quick thinker and easy to communicate. This will bring you to the next stage.
- c. Show a positive, can-do attitude as many technical skills can be learned on the job.
- Avoid grammar mistakes
- a. Be careful with grammar. Read, re-read and have someone native speaker proofread you CV and Cover letter.
Click here to see an example of a Cover Letter
References: link