5 Steps To Writing A Really Effective Covering Letter

by Liz Seyi Digital marketing manager

The CV Cover Letter is one of those aspects of a job application that goes curiously unanalysed a lot of the time, yet may also be the most important of all. After all, we all want to make a great first impression when we are seeking an exciting new role, and your initial point of contact with an employer isn’t the interview or even your CV – it’s your cover letter.

Here are five ways to ensure that your own covering letter really hits the spot.

Stick To Between A Half-Page And Whole Page of A4

Your covering letter isn’t supposed to go into every detail or detail your life story. While it should go into slightly greater depth than your CV, it still needs to be punchy and to the point.

Do Your Research

If you really wish to communicate how much you desire and care about this job, you need to at least make clear that you have conducted research into such things as the company and its values, competitors, sector and market position, as well as who will be receiving and reading your letter.

A CV cover letter, after all, needs to be tailored to each and every application, and you’ll struggle to do that if you lack a decent level of knowledge about your potential employer and its industry.

Go Beyond Your CV

Given that the whole point of a cover letter is as something to accompany your CV, you should certainly not just rewrite what the employer will see in that document.

What your covering letter instead needs to do, is expand beyond what is in your CV, including by drawing attention to your most relevant achievements and giving examples.

Flaunt Your Creativity

A covering letter is nowhere near as rigid as a CV, so you’ve got more scope to be inventive with what you include, and how you include it. This is especially true if you are looking to go into a creative role or industry.

So, don’t be afraid to experiment with layouts and formats – but also make sure all of the necessary information is there and the employer or recruiter won’t be distracted.

Include A Call To Action

Calls to action are very much a ‘done thing’ in the marketing world, so why shouldn’t they be in a document in which you are marketing yourself?

If you intend to make a follow-up phone call, say so, or if you will wait for a response, tell the reader that you will look forward to hearing from them soon. You should also thank them for taking the time to read your CV cover letter and sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’ if you know the name of the hiring manager, or ‘Yours faithfully’ if you don’t, followed by your name.

Are you ready to really make an impact with your CV covering letter? In that case, you might wish to know about our well-priced course on How To Write An Incredible Covering Letter, with our founder Aimee Bateman. Good luck!