How to write a great Cover Letter?

• Address the letter with formal salutation:
  • A formal salutation uses words like hello, greetings and/or dear.
  • It is best to be able to address your cover letter to a specific person in the organisation who is responsible for your hiring.
    • However, if you are unable to find someone to address the cover letter to, you can address the letter to the 'Hiring Manager'.

• Clearly state the purpose of your letter expressing interest in the position:
  • The opening line should be straightforward, it should clearly state the position you are applying for, where you found the job posting and express interest in it.
  • By this point, you should have read about the job description, responsibilities and done your research on the company.
  • A line expressing interest in working to further the company’s vision would be a good addition.

• Summarise your experience and connect your education, experience and skills to the job:
  • The cover letter should not be an essay explaining your resume.
  • Instead, emphasize on your skills and abilities that relate to the job and speak about this in a confident manner as the reader will also view the letter as an example of how strong your writing skills are.

• Do not overuse “I” and use action verbs when highlighting your experience:
  • Examples of action verbs are as follows:
    • To demonstrate leadership skills, you can use these words: Accomplished, headed, delegated
    • To demonstrate communication skills, you can use these words: Addressed, presented, negotiated
    • To demonstrate research skills, you can use these words: Constructed, investigated, modeled
    • To demonstrate creative skills, you can use these words: Redesigned, developed, shaped

• Conclude with a forward looking statement and re-express your interest for the role:
  • The cover letter should again express your interest for the position, thank the reader for their time and end with a forward looking statement that you look to hear from them.
  • The letter should end with your full typed name, your contact details and your signature.

• Be aware of your formatting:
  • It is recommended to use the same font and size as the one on your resume/CV.
  • Keep your letter to one page and be consistent with your margins and your fonts.
  • It is also advised to save and send your letter as a .pdf document so as to ensure no formatting inaccuracies arise.

You can find a downloadable Cover Letter template here.