How to Write a Good Cover Letter?

As we noted in our last blog ‘Should We Include a Cover Letter with our Job Application?’, while the debate over the necessity of a cover letter persists, and there are scenarios where it might not be mandatory, it's generally advisable to include one. While our CV serves as the primary application document, a well-crafted cover letter showcases our enthusiasm and qualifications for the position. If compelling, it can significantly impact a recruiter's perception and move us forward in the hiring process. However, that begs the question: How do we write a good cover letter?

First and foremost, we want to create a master cover letter that we can tweak depending on the position. This will give us a foundation to build our bespoke cover letter each time. Lets lay out the structure of our master template – please contact us if you would like a ready-made template or you want help crafting bespoke cover letters for roles.

A cover letter should be formatted like a business letter with the following sections:

• A top, right-aligned section with our name, address and date.

• Below this, a left-aligned section with the Hiring Manager’s name and the company name & address. If we don’t know the hiring manager’s name, ‘Hiring Manager’ will suffice.

• Then, a professional greeting: ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ or ‘To whom this application concerns’. If we have the hiring manager’s title & name, use it.

• In our opening paragraph, tell the hiring manager why we are writing this letter – specifically call out the job title we are applying for.

• Our middle paragraph should be a brief overview of background relating to the position. Include major education, experience, skills and achievements that directly pertain to the role and our candidacy. Essentially, why should the recruiter keep reading.

• The closing paragraph should focus on specific details about our success: what measurable impact did we make in the last role that shows why we would be ideal for this job. Also, explain why we are specifically interested in this role & company.

• Close it off professionally with a ‘Yours sincerely’, ‘Regards’, etc. before putting full name, signature and phone number.

Now for the personalisation, we have three key principles:

1. Substantive

The key to writing an effective cover letter is to outline how our professional experience fits the needs of the open role and the culture of the hiring company, and so, every application will garner a unique cover letter. If our cover letter is not substantive, we shouldn’t include it.

A recruiter that takes the time to download and review a cover letter only to find a few generic sentences that add nothing to the application, may hold that against a candidate, consciously or not. Let’s not give recruiters any reason to stop us at the first hurdle. A well-written cover letter has the potential to set us apart from other applicants. Our first step toward this goal is to effectively research the company and role before writing our cover letter. Being able to create a cover letter that specifically covers off elements of the job description and notes desirable aspects of the company is the majority of the battle.

Next, we need to write impactfully - Avoid using generic references to our abilities. Instead, opt for meaningful anecdotes that demonstrate how our skills have contributed to concrete problem-solving activities or tangible outcomes in previous roles. We need to demonstrate how we fulfil the responsibilities outlined in the job description and where we have shown examples of doing this before. While any candidate can claim to possess desirable skills, showcasing examples of our skills in action is what truly leaves an impact on hiring managers.

For instance, rather than stating, "My experience as a trainer would make me a great fit for this role" provide a specific example such as, "I am very suited to this role as a trainer as I have demonstrated upskilling coordination & delivery experience, including managing the training of….”. Make it actionable and strong, use action verbs and avoid cliches - turn “I’m a great communicator” into “I’m a great communicator, having effectively managed a team of 10 in migrating 1000 users this year”.

Another important characteristic of a good cover letter is that it will tell the hiring manager why we’re excited about this specific employer and role. It demonstrates specific interest a-& enthusiasm and shows that we have done our research. It’s difficult to express on a CV how much and why we want a role. Without being hyperbolic, use the cover letter to express why we want to work in this role/for this company. Is it a ‘Great Place to Work’, does it promote its company culture, is it cutting-edge within the industry? Note these as our reason(s) for being specifically interested in this role and company. It will demonstrate that we’ve prepared, that the cover letter is unique, and it gives the impression that this is an important opportunity for us.

Lastly, the cover letter also offers us the opportunity to add information that can’t go into the CV but could be helpful for our application:

• Career gaps, changes and short stints in other roles can be off-putting for hiring managers, this is our chance to explain them.

• If we have a connection/referral, we need to find some way to point this out and the cover letter may be the place. Referral and links are 100% additive to our application, we need to make sure they are noted by the hiring manager.

2. Short & Concise

Unless specified, there is no required length for a cover letter. However, in the vast majority of cases, one page is enough – other than special circumstances, ensure we are keeping the body of the cover letter under 300 words. Focus on those important details that are substantive and add value on top of our CV. What skills/achievements is the job description calling for - Choose one or two of the most significant and relate them, in anecdotes if possible, directly to an element of our experience, education, achievements, etc. in just a few detailed, concise sentences. Anything outside of this should not be in a cover letter. We want to include notable skills & achievements but make sure they are relevant to this specific role. Any additional 'fluff’ actually takes away from the details that make us stand out. Overly lengthy cover letters & CVs only serve to frustrate hiring managers.

3. Formatting & Proofreading

A cover letter should:

• Be no more than one page.

• Use a simple, professional font, like Arial, with a font size of approximately 11.

• Be justify or left-aligned.

• Use 1 – 1.5 spacing and one-inch margins (one-inch margins are the default in Microsoft Word).

A nice touch is using the same the same formatting in our CV & cover letter: font type & size, margins, colors, style, etc.

Spelling and grammar mistakes, although honest errors, will negatively impact a recruiter's hiring decision. These simple but easy mistakes create an impression of unprofessionalism and a lack of attention to detail. Ensure we are thoroughly proofreading our cover letter when complete. Consider using a spell/grammar checker or reading it backwards to check for spelling errors and reading aloud can help identify awkward phrasing and overly lengthy sentences. Verify the spelling of the Hiring Manager & company name multiple times.

Lastly, adhere to submission guidelines outlined in the job description. Pay attention to specific instructions regarding cover letter format (Word or PDF), font styles and sizes, margins, and requested content (e.g., required sections or information to include).

It is much easier to have our application turned down than accepted, don’t give any simple excuses.

In conclusion, including a cover letter gives us the opportunity to outline how our capabilities will enable us to excel in a given role. Crafting a substantive & concise cover letter, tailored to each role and company, is essential. It should incorporate meaningful anecdotes that demonstrate the value we can bring to the company – write impactfully, don’t be generic. Additionally, expressing genuine interest in the specific employer and role, along with addressing any career gaps or changes and noting connections/referrals, will absolutely strengthen our application. Remember, a well-written cover letter has the potential to set us apart from other applicants. Each time we are applying for a new role, we must ensure that we are investing time and creating bespoke cover letters that are undoubtedly adding value beyond just our CV.

Would you like help with a cover letter or CV? Please contact us.