Need help crafting the perfect cover letter for your prospective employer? MG have you covered!
The cover letter is your opportunity to demonstrate that you are a well-informed, passionate candidate who has the knowledge and key skills needed to do the job. Firstly, if you want your cover letter to be read, you need to abide by the three golden rules…
- Don’t make it an attachment, make it the body of the email with your CV attached.
- Keep it short and sweet. Five sentences is all that’s necessary.
- Tailor it. Get the name of the company right in the cover letter. Oh, and don’t forget to inject some personality into it.
Essential ingredients of the perfect cover letter…
Contact info: Don’t make recruiters sift through your cover letter to find all your contact information – include it at the top so it’s the first thing they see.
Greeting: If you can find it, address the recruiter / hiring manager personally.
Intro paragraph:
- Make your opening line stand out by including an anecdote, quote or fun fact.
- You need to demonstrate who the company is, what they do and what they’re passionate about.
- Explain why your projects, experiences and passions make you the perfect candidate, and if someone referred you for the role, don’t be afraid to name drop them.
Main body:
- Include keywords from the job description and mention all KPIs and achievements.
Closing paragraph:
- Summarise and reaffirm your interest in the position and demonstrate why you’d be a good fit.
Call-to-action:
- Thank the recruiter for reviewing your cover letter and invite them to move forward with your application.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
