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Transcript

How to Write a Cover Letter · Enhance.training

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: The purpose of writing a good cover letter is to make your application stand out and improve your chances of being invited to interview.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Too few job applicants write a cover letter, or if they do, they waste the opportunity with a generic or a poor covering letter.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we take you through how to structure your cover letter, what to include and what not to, and we provide examples for each section.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jess Coles, and I have sat in over a thousand interviews and I've seen plenty of covering letters, good and bad, and I'm sharing my accumulated experience with you to help you get the job that you want.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're new to this podcast, enhance.training provides online business courses to help professionals, managers and business owners improve their performance.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: So if you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues and visit us at enhance.training for more great tips on transforming performance.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: A good cover letter makes your applications stand out.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Typically, over 80% of applicants do not get past the CV stage.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Most applicants don't take the time to write a cover letter.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Write a good cover letter and you will get ahead of your competition in the early stages of the recruitment process.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Most recruiters and hiring managers do read covering letters, so using this space to sell your skills is a great use of time.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: But also remember that a poor cover letter can harm your application rather than help it.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: To write a good cover letter, you must do your research on the role and on the company before you start writing.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: The job advert or what you've been told by the recruiter is a good starting point.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Places to look for additional information include the company website, LinkedIn, Google and industry publications.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Your aim is to understand firstly what the company does, i.e.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: the products and or services that it provides.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: You also secondly want to understand their competitors and market position.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Thirdly, understand the company culture as much as you can.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And fourth, understand what the key responsibilities and challenges of the role are and what are the key problems hiring this role will solve for the employer.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, understand the key skills, experience and achievements that you have which are going to solve the key employer problems.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Use the research to tailor your letter to the specific role and company that you're applying to.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: This will make it relevant, demonstrate your interest and suitability for the role and company in question.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever you do, do not copy and paste sections from generic covering letters.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: We've seen this too many times, and a poor cover letter hurts your application, it doesn't help it.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, don't copy sections of your CV word for word.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: You're wasting your opportunity to add additional information and make the information more relevant, which is both really important.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: We're often asked how long should a cover letter be?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Your cover letter should be no longer than one page of A4.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: There's always loads you could write, so it's important to choose key information that will interest the reader.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Highlights how you are a solution to the hiring company's problems with what you write.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Ideally, your cover letter should have four paragraphs of information.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure the font is simple and easy to read.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial are all good choices.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: And keep your letter design simple.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Use a 12-point font size to ensure the text is large enough to be read easily.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: And don't use large blocks of text as these are quite hard to read quickly.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Make use of bullet points where you can.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: When you're ready to start writing your letter, address your letter to the person dealing with the applications.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: In most cases this will be the hiring manager or an internal recruiter or an HR person.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: The job advert may say who this is.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: If not, don't be afraid to call and ask for the name of the person you should address your letter to.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: This gives you another opportunity to show your keenness and professionalism.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you're applying through a recruiter, then ask for the name of the hiring manager and make sure you get the spelling right.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not able to find out the right person to address your letter to, then use dear sir or madam.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: We're now going to go through how to structure a cover letter.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Your cover letter should be structured as a formal business letter would be.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: On the top right of the page, include your name, contact details, including your phone number, your email address and the full postal address.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: And just as a tip, make sure your email address is professional looking.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Using something like wicked900 at gmail.com doesn't come across very well.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: Below this section of your details on the left hand side of the page, write the name of the person you are sending the letter to, and below this the name of the company and their full postal address.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Below this, add the date on a separate line, either to the left or the right.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: My preferences is always on the right.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Then below this, address the letter using dear and then the name of the person.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is more formal and the right way to address your letter rather than using hi or hey, which are just not appropriate.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's go through each of the four paragraphs and we've got an example for each of these sections.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: So paragraph one.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: The opening paragraph should be short, concise, and explain why you're applying to the company.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Here's an example.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: I would like to apply for the role of digital marketing manager as advertised on monster.co.uk.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Please find and close my CV for your consideration.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Then in paragraph two, explain why you are suitable for the job and explain what makes you an applicant they should be interested in speaking to.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: What you put in this paragraph depends on your research and what the hiring company is looking for.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Tick off as many of the key criteria as possible without creating a bland list.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Here's an example.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: I love your Rumble brand and I'm very excited by your recently launched kombucha range.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: I have eight years of marketing experience in the FMCG industry, including working at Innocent Drinks and Grays.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: I have a great track record of revenue growth and in successfully leading marketing teams and managing marketing agencies, which is why I'm applying for this role.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: In this section, don't copy sections of your CV into the covering letter.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: This really wastes the opportunity to personalise the letter to the role and the company you're applying to.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: In paragraph three, use examples or achievements to highlight what you have delivered and what you can potentially deliver for this company.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Here's an example.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: I have created and managed Facebook and Instagram campaigns that have increased revenues by 26% and 32% over the last two years at Yellow Tree Drinks Limited.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: My team of five won best team in our internal company awards this year and have delivered against all objectives set during the year.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: I also received the top appraisal grade.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Use your best examples here to grab the readers' attention and leave them wanting more.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: Your CV should have more detail, so don't worry about trying to add everything in this section.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Use this section to highlight the important points of your CV while making sure it is relevant to the job requirements for this specific ROM.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: In paragraph 4, show or explain why you are very interested in the company and remind the reader of your top two or three points as to why you can solve their key problems.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: And finally at the bottom of the letter, ask to meet with the reader or the hiring manager at interview as your last point.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Here's an example.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: I would really like to join your team at this exciting time in your growth.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: I have the experience, track record, and skills that you are looking for and would love the opportunity to deliver similar results for you.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for your time and I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my application in more detail.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Finally, to close the letter, finish off the letter with your sincerely followed by your signature.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you sign the letter by hand rather than using an electronic signature, even if you subsequently scan your letter into a PDF format.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: It is always sensible to have your name printed below your signature as well.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: So in summary, make sure that you firstly do your research before starting to write.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Secondly, tailor your letter to the role and the company.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Third, keep your cover letter short, concise, and relevant to the job you're applying for.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, highlight how you can solve the problems the hiring company has.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, make sure you proofread everything that you've written carefully.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure there's no grammar or spelling mistakes.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Good luck with your drop applications.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you'll do really well.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you like this podcast, please share it with friends and colleagues or visit us at enhance.training to find more articles, podcasts, and videos on all aspects of the job hunting process.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon.