How to write a cover letter like a boss
Imagine you’re an employer, and you have to read over fifty cover letters in one day. That’s a lot. You’re going to be quickly skim-reading, looking for the ones that stand out and tell you something interesting about the applicant. You’ll be making quick decisions about who is going through to interview, and who isn’t. The cover letters that are too long, full of business jargon, or don’t get to the point quick enough, will be quickly thrown onto the “Heck no!” pile.
You really only have about six seconds to make that all-important good first impression. So what makes a good cover letter? And how do you personalise your cover letter to stand out and get offered an interview?
Do I need a cover letter for my job application?
Body If the job ad asks for a cover letter, then you need to provide it. If the job ad doesn’t mention it, you have two choices. You can either call the hiring manager and ask if a cover letter is required, or just submit a cover letter to be sure you’ve done all you can to get that job. A cover letter can make the difference between you getting an interview or not and increases your chance of job success.
How long should my cover letter be?
I beg you, keep your cover letter to one page maximum! The only exception is if you’re applying for a government job that specifically asks you to address selection criteria or answer specific questions. In this case your cover letter can be longer however make sure you keep to the word or page limit stated in the job ad.
What style and format should I use for my cover letter?
I recommend using the same format and style as your resume. This means the same font, banner with your name, and the same style for your bullet points. Consistency and branding makes you more memorable and impresses the reader by showing your finesse.
How to name drop in your cover letter
Should I name drop in my cover letter? Absolutely! If you’ve worked for big brands or well-known people, don’t be afraid to name drop in your cover letter. Listing names people have heard of and immediately understand lifts your credibility. I suggest name dropping in your cover letter in the introductory paragraph. See below where I guide you on how to write your introductory paragraph.
How to personalise your cover letter
Use a human style voice not a robot. No jargon, make it personable while still being professional. Use plain English and tell the reader why you’re interested in the role and the unique skills, qualities and experience you bring. Don’t use business jargon or long words.
How to write a cover letter step-by-step
Okay so here’s my simple process for writing an effective cover letter. When my clients use this formula, they get more callbacks and don’t have to write a completely new cover letter for every role they apply for.
1. Write a cover letter heading
Ok, first things first. Throw out all the rules you learned in school about including your home address on a letter. You don’t need to do that for a cover letter. All you need to include is:
the date
where is was advertised (Seek, LinkedIn, etc.)
business name
the title of the job you’re applying for and reference number if there is one.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to include the job title. If the business is hiring for multiple jobs they need to know which one you are applying for. It will end up looking like this:
“5 April 2022
Re: LinkedIn Boronia Hills Grammar - Marketing Coordinator”
2. Work out who to address your cover letter to
Again, the rules you might have learned at school don’t apply anymore! Please do not write “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern”. Read the job ad and find the hiring manager’s name. If it’s not stated, you can call the business to ask, or snoop on LinkedIn to see if you can find their name. This shows you’re excited about the role and helps you get to know more about the company. If you still can’t find out the person’s name, just address the letter to “Dear HR Manager” or “Dear HR Recruiter”. Your opening line should be simple and courteous, something like:
“Dear Ms Sandra Whittke
It is with great interest I present my credentials for the position of Service Delivery Manager”
3. Write the cover letter introduction
The best way to grab your reader’s attention is to personalise your cover letter and use plain English. This means instead of using business jargon, write your cover letter as though you are talking to a friend. Use simple wording and tell the reader why you’re applying for the job. Use an attention grabber like “For the last 5 years I’ve been a single mum, but I can’t wait to have adult interaction again”. Telling the reader about yourself makes your cover letter interesting and engaging.
I know it might sound weird, but it works for so many of my clients. Tell them why you’re changing jobs or careers, why you’re excited about the company, how excited you are to live in Australia, or why you just took a career break to care for a family member. Humans connect with other humans.
Now summarise your skills and why they make you a good fit for the company or the role. As I said earlier, feel free to name drop in this section of your cover letter. Here is an example cover letter introduction:
“I have previously worked as a Service Delivery Manager for global services companies like American Express and Syntel, where I lead the strategy development and delivery of customer payment platforms. I am seeking a new role where I can leverage my thirst for learning and preoccupation with tech to delight my stakeholders.”
4. Write the body or middle section of your cover letter to match the job requirements
This is the most important section, and you must customise this section of your cover letter for every job you apply for. If your cover letter is too generic it will be tossed aside. It’s critical to customise every cover letter to match the job requirements that are listed in the ad.
The best way to do this is to copy the exact job requirements into bullet points in your cover letter. Then write a short section demonstrating how you meet each requirement. You need to be succinct and tell a specific story for each requirement. If there are too many job requirements in the job ad to fit into your 1 page letter, choose 3-5 that align the most with your strengths. Here are two examples:
“• Excellent customer service – While working at ANZ Bank as a Disputes Officer, I processed about 35 calls per day with customers, some of whom were upset. I was able to turn around one angry customer, by listening to her frustrations, calmly asking a few questions and then offering two options to her for us to proceed. She thanked me at the end for my kindness.
• Exceptional problem solving – I saw a gap where office staff were not compliant in aviation safety training which would have created an Audit finding, so I collaborated with the OH&S Manager to develop role-based safety training modules and then organised with each staff member to complete the training over the next 4 weeks; this brought our small airline back into compliance.”
Once you’ve prepared a few cover letters, you will have a created a small library of your relevant stories you can cut and paste into subsequent ones. All you’ll need to do is change the bold bullet point headings to match the relevant job requirements in the job ad, and paste in the relevant story against each. Maybe with a little tweak here and there to appeal to your audience.
5. How to close a cover letter
So how do you close a cover letter? The number one rule in closing your cover letter is to keep it simple. You only need two sentences, and be courteous not pushy. If you really want to impress the reader you could include a line from their job ad about the company culture or the type of person they’re wanting to hire. For example:
“I notice [insert name of company]’s mission is to shape a more compassionate and just society – this aligns with two traits I cherish most which are honesty and integrity. I would be welcome the opportunity to discuss my skills and strengths with you further.”
6. How to sign off a cover letter
For your signoff, you just need to type your name and mobile phone number. No signature is today’s online world and including your number makes it easy for the reader to pick up the phone and call you immediately.
Do you need cover letter coaching?
As a career coach based in Sydney, I offer online appointments and a range of resume and cover letter packages, including help with cover letters. If you need some cover letter coaching, feel free to book a free chat to talk about how I can help you land your dream job.