The job interview process is daunting, even before entering the interviewing room! Your CV and Cover Letter are crucial in establishing who you are as a potential employee and there is essentially no margin for error.
A while ago, we wrote about your CV in A simple, simply perfect CV but many employers now are also searching for a simple, simply perfect cover letter to match. A Cover Letter is a one-page document that accompanies your CV and contains all the extra details about your skills and experiences that relate to the specific job you are applying for. A Cover Letter is important to showcase your personality and impress employers before they even meet you and is essentially their first impression of you – which is why it is important to focus on it just as much as your CV.
At StaffMatters, we asked our expert recruiters for their green and red flags when it comes to writing a Cover Letter and they were a fount of information!
Green Flags:
1. Be direct:
It is important you address the letter to a specific person – either the hiring manager or HR, for example – or the specific company. Don’t forget to mention the job you are applying for and why you are applying for that job.
2. Be specific to the job:
Utilize the job description and brief to your benefit. Outline how your experience and skills match exactly what they are looking for. This also showcases that you have paid close attention to the requirements of the job at hand. It is also important to research the company beforehand and outlining how you would fit in with your potential employers and the team.
3. Be consistent:
Image really is everything and it is important that the format of your Cover Letter looks clean and professional. Avoid bright and colours that we so often see on Microsoft templates and make sure that the font and text size matches your resume. An overly decorated Cover Letter is distracting and takes away from the content.
Red Flags:
1. Too long:
While the point of a Cover Letter is to introduce yourself, it is important to refrain from writing an essay. A typical Cover Letter usually contains three to four paragraphs of only the necessary information.
2. Too generic:
Research is fundamental! As mentioned before, doing your research about the hiring company and the specific role shows genuine enthusiasm for the job. A generic cover letter could appear lazy. The best way to avoid this is by avoiding generic greetings and overused jargon.
3. Spelling and grammar mistakes:
This one is a no-brainer, however time and time again employers have seen CVs and Cover Letters littered with spelling and grammar mistakes that are impossible to ignore! This demonstrates a lack of professionalism. If you are having trouble, there is no shame in asking a friend or family member to help read over your resume and Cover Letter to double check any mistakes.
As always, the expert team here at StaffMatters is ready to help you every step of the way if you need any assistance. Contact us today on admin@smstaffmatters.com or +357 25341383.
