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Cv Writing Covering Letter

Writing a Great Cover Letter

Most job applicants would agree that the Resume is an indispensable part of any application for a new job. Unfortunately, many applicants neglect to include a Cover Letter with the Resume, judging it as frivolous and insignificant. However, the presence (or absence) of a Cover Letter can make or break a promising candidate’s job application. Here’s how to write a Great Cover Letter.

1.       Address  and Contact Information

How can an employer contact you without your contact information? Before drafting your sentences, include your name, address and contact information at the top of the page towards the left. This should be followed by the date of the letter. Further down, include the recruiter’s name, designation and address to indicate that this is a personalized letter addressed specifically to the company. This will prevent recruiters from thinking that the letter is one sent en masse to hundreds of companies.

2.       Salutation and Greetings

After typing out the employer’s contact details, do not forget to follow with a salutation. Start with ‘’Dear Mr. Tan’’ or ‘’Dear Ms Lee’’. This short phrase serves to build rapport between you and the recruiter. It indicates that you are actually communicating to him personally. Even though it may seem like a no-brainer, you should always ascertain the gender of the recruiter concerned. Nothing is worse than being called ‘’Ms’’ for male recruiters or ‘’Mr.’’ for females.  

1. Subject Heading

After the short greeting, include a subject heading to give introduce the content of the letter. The heading should make it clear that the letter is a job application and should mention the name of the appointment concerned. A possible model is ‘’Re: Application for Senior Technician’’

1. Introductory Paragraph

The first paragraph is where you would like you would like to introduce yourself briefly and to make the recruiter feel like reading more of the letter (recruiters often do not read beyond the first paragraph, so it is important to capture their attention). Mention what attracted you to the job that you are applying for. If the job is a private banker in the wealth management line, you could mention ‘’my passion for the finance industry and my desire for career development drew my attention to the post of private banker open at your organization’’. This could be followed by a summary of what makes you an ideal candidate for the post.

1. Second Paragraph

The second paragraph is where you will need to prove that you are the right man for the job. Highlight your employment credentials and emphasize the parts where it is directly relevant to the activities of the target organization. You may wish to discuss specific experiences to further convince the recruiter of the authenticity of your experience.

1. Third Paragraph

At the end of the second paragraph, the employer should already be ready to take you on and arrange on interview. The third paragraph serves to convince him that he will not make a mistake by placing his trust and resources on you. Effective Cover Letters take this opportunity to highlight other assets such as Community Involvement or Hobbies. Mentioning these details highlight that you are a balanced candidate and would be able to integrate into the organization without a hitch.

1. Concluding Paragraph

Reaffirm why you are the ideal candidate by reiterating your major skills, your wealth of experience and other factors which make you more suitable for the job. Conclude the Cover Letter by thanking the recruiter and by requesting an interview. This could be done subtly like in ‘’I look forward to hear from you’’ or ‘’ I look forward for an opportunity to meet and to discuss in greater detail’’.

For advice on writing Cover Letters, please visit www.cvplus.com.sg

About the Author

Linus Tham, Founder and Director of the C.V Plus Group, a C.V writing and design consultancy. The C.V Plus Group specialises in C.V and Cover Letter design, post interview Thank You letters and Junior C.Vs. For more information, please visit www.cvplus.com.sg or call 6270 9028. Email: [email protected]

How to Write a Cover Letter, Follow Up Letter and Thank You Letter (HD) | Resume Service Plus

The importance of writing a strong CV and covering letter

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), unemployment rose by 49,000 to 2.5 million people in the three months to the end of November 2010.

 

The job market today is tough and highly competitive, and jobseekers at all levels - especially senior level executives must not underestimate the importance of having an articulate, achievement -focussed and professionally presented Curriculum Vitae.

 

As the Partner of a successful executive level recruitment and professional CV writing firm for 15 years, I have found that a strong resume is the key to beating the competition and securing the job that you want.

 

There are many benefits to having your CV professionally written and the most important are;

 

Firstly your CV will be visually professional and high-impact and this will appeal to the reader, catch their attention and increase your chances of being selected for interview from an increasingly large sea of other job applicants.

 

Secondly, your CV will contain pertinent key words so that your details can be found potential employers or consultants either by searching on the internet (if you have applied online) or from within a database system if you have registered your details with an executive search firm, employer or employment agency.

 

Finally your CV will be a bespoke document, designed specifically to act as a marketing tool and shop window.  It will display your qualifications, training, skills, personal attributes and key achievements in a succinct way which is easy to read at first glance.  A professional CV, well written will catch the attention of the reader quickly and open the door to further questioning.

 

From managing numerous executive level recruitment campaigns, I have found that the covering letter which accompanies your Curriculum Vitae is equally just as important.   In my experience, recruitment consultants and employers alike want to see evidence that you have researched the role and the organisation; that your skills and experience match the brief and that you are aware of the developments, challenges and potential opportunities that the company has at the current time and in the future.

 

Some useful tips for impressing a prospective employer in the covering letter include:

 

Matching your key skills and experience to the role profile or advertisement by way of giving a few examples; demonstrating that you are interested in the organisation by reviewing corporate brochures, press releases and annual reports (usually available on the company website) and commenting on anything you found interesting; researching the competition and the marketplace and offering a short summary of how you feel that you can add value to the business.

 

All this should be kept to a maximum of two pages in order to retain the attention of the reader.

 

My best advice is to never be complacent when applying for a new job opportunity.  If you do, then you are in serious danger of losing the role you are hoping to secure to someone who has a better CV and covering letter than you.

 

Tracey Thomas, Partner and ‘head hunter' Grieves Pryce Executive Resourcing and GPCVServices.

About the Author

Visit us at professional CV writers we can advise and offer a number of loan services including Executive CV Writing.