{"id":6823,"date":"2021-03-15T23:22:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T23:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/?p=6823"},"modified":"2021-07-22T06:05:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-22T06:05:51","slug":"the-dreaded-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/the-dreaded-cover-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dreaded Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><h3>5 Top Tips for Success<\/h3>\n<p>Does writing a cover letter fill you with a sense of dread? You\u2019re not alone!<\/p>\n<p>You might be wondering, <em>where do I even start?<\/em> And if you\u2019re anything like us, you\u2019re definitely thinking, <em>does anyone even read these?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s super tempting not to even bother! But if the job application specifically asks for one, you need to make sure you\u2019re supplying one &#8211; or your application will be completely discounted.<\/p>\n<h3>First things first, what exactly is a cover letter for?<\/h3>\n<p>The cover letter is your first introduction to a prospective employer. It\u2019s where you set the stage for your resume, experience and reasons for applying for the job.<\/p>\n<p>Cover letters can also be speculative. In an open job market, sending out your cover letter and resume to employers you\u2019re interested in before they have job openings can be a great way to get yourself on the radar. A cover letter in this sense is where you outline why you\u2019re interested in the company and what you have to offer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A cover letter IS<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your opportunity to create a great first impression.<\/li>\n<li>A short, snappy window into your experience and specific skills.<\/li>\n<li>Your \u2018elevator pitch\u2019 to give the employer a chance to get to know you.<\/li>\n<li>Professional and straightforward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A cover letter IS NOT<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A replication of your resume.<\/li>\n<li>An essay opportunity where you tell your life story.<\/li>\n<li>Where you beg for the job.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To help you get over the dreaded cover letter fear, we\u2019ve pulled together our top five tips for success:<\/p>\n<h3>5 top tips for nailing that cover letter<\/h3>\n<h4>1.\u00a0Do your research and address your letter properly<\/h4>\n<p>Avoid generic opening lines like \u2018To Whom It May Concern\u2019 or \u2018Dear Sir or Madam\u2019 &#8211; they\u2019re archaic and don\u2019t demonstrate you\u2019ve done your research. Find out the hiring managers name (it could be included in the job description, or do some research on the company website\/LinkedIn). If you can\u2019t find the hiring manager\u2019s name, try addressing your cover letter to the department head of the role you\u2019re applying for. If you really can\u2019t find a name to address your cover letter, use something like \u2018Systems Engineer Hiring Manager\u2019 or \u2018Administrative Team Leader\u2019.<\/p>\n<h4>2.\u00a0Highlight the experiences that most closely align with the job<\/h4>\n<p>Unsure which of your past experiences you should be featuring? Make sure you read through the job description! Pick 2-3 pieces of experience or achievements you have that are most relevant and focus on these. Don\u2019t be afraid to align them directly to the job description too, saying, \u201c<em>I noticed the role calls for *this* skillset, which is something developed from doing from *this* role\/project\/experience<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n<h4>3.\u00a0Showcase your relevant skills<\/h4>\n<p>When you\u2019re starting in the workforce, it\u2019s natural you might not have the same experience that matches the job role you\u2019re applying to &#8211; and that\u2019s not something to be afraid of! Instead, you have a tonne of transferable skills to offer, so focus on highlighting those. Think about school projects, team sports, volunteering, odd jobs you may have done &#8211; and use these to back up what you\u2019ve got to offer.<\/p>\n<h4>4.\u00a0Don\u2019t apologise for lack of experience &#8211; focus on the positives you offer!<\/h4>\n<p>There will be times when you apply for a job where you don\u2019t have perfectly aligned experience or tick every single box on the selection criteria &#8211; but that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re not a great candidate! Don\u2019t downplay the experience you do have, and don\u2019t draw attention to what you don\u2019t. Instead of saying something like, \u201c<em>Despite my limited experience in this industry\u2026<\/em>\u201d say something like \u201c<em>I\u2019m excited to translate my experience from doing *this* to this position because I\u2019ll bring *these* skills<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>5.\u00a0Make sure you edit with a fine-tooth comb!<\/h4>\n<p>Spelling and grammar are super important &#8211; especially if you\u2019ve said attention to detail is a top skill! Make sure you give yourself time to review and edit your cover letter. You can use spell check or software like Grammarly (it\u2019s free!) &#8211; and also read your cover letter out loud. You\u2019d be surprised at how helpful this is for finding errors. Ask a trusted friend, sibling or parent to give it a proofread for you too &#8211; a fresh pair of eyes never hurts.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure you polish up a new cover letter for each new job too. It\u2019s okay to recycle a few sentences but writing a fresh one for each job will get you in the mindset for that company, and it will show to the employer!<\/p>\n<p>Couple a tailored cover letter with a <a href=\"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/how-to-write-a-resume-lets-go-back-to-basics\/\">polished resume<\/a>, and you\u2019ll be on the way to your next interview (and job role) in no time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Interested in finding the right career for you and your new resume?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Try our <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/career-quiz\/\"><strong>Career Quiz<\/strong><\/a><strong> to see where you should get started!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span> 5 Top Tips for Success Does writing a cover letter fill you with a sense of dread? You\u2019re not alone! [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6824,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[24],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6823"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6823"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8347,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6823\/revisions\/8347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorecareers.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}