Job sites such as NewJobToday list thousands of jobs with the amount of jobs posted online traditionally higher in the early part of the year.
It’s really important to make sure if you are applying for a job on a job site that you make sure your application stands out for your prospective employer.
Here’s a quick guide to applying for jobs with a cover letter.
Firstly, always make sure that you do include a covering letter if there is an opportunity. It introduces you to potential employers and gets them to think about your suitability for employment.
Normally, cover letters are short, usually no more than 4 or 5 paragraphs.
Make sure you research the company. You might know them or people who work at the employer, but most likely, you can do this research through reviewing their website and searching online for recent news articles that mention the company. Try and reference this research in your covering letter.
With your cover letter, try and address to the recruiter personally. Also, ensure that you have the right company name, correct address and postcode. If you cannot find the name of the recruiter, then you can feel comfortable in addressing your cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madam”.
In your opening paragraph, introduce yourself, and explain where you find the advertised job. If the ad contains a specific job title or reference, please include this too.
If the job ad includes details about the roles and responsibilities, please try and briefly highlight your skills and experience. Do this in a positive way that lets them know you are a potential good fit and enthusiastic about moving to them.
If you have specific interview requirements you may wish to mention this, but you do not have to mention this if you would prefer not to. Likewise, if you have gaps in your employment history, you might want to highlight how you used this time to gain extra skills.
Finish your cover letter by thanking the employer for reading your letter and considering your application. Explain that they can find more details on your attached CV and that you are looking forward to hearing from them. Make sure your contact details are correct and up to date.
Finally, if you have the name of a specific person to apply to you should finish your cover letter with “Yours sincerely” and if you have addressed your cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madam”, then you should end the letter with “Yours faithfully”.
Cover Letter writing tips
- Write a specific one for every job that you apply for and make sure it is tailored and relevant to the company and specific role.
- Use a consistent font, text size and try and make sure that this is similar to your CV.
- Try to demonstrate your suitability for the job from the research you have done and try to showcase your skills and relevant attributes to stand out from other applicants.
- Always check your spelling and grammar. If you are not sure, why not ask a trusted friend or family member to help you with this.
- Keep a copy of each application you send and make sure you can explain the detail from your cover letter in your first interview.
- Make sure that you send your application in the correct format (normally MS-word, google docs or pdf format) before the final application deadline.
We wish you success in your search in 2024!
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