“Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is [insert your name] and I am writing in response to the recently advertised position of [insert name of position] at [insert name of prospective organisation] … ”

Yes?

No. No. No!

When you sit down to plan a cover letter for your dream job, consider what you are trying to achieve. Sure, your end game will be to actually land the position, but you have a few things to nail before you get anywhere near the interview room.

Below is our Go-To Guide for Writing a Killer Cover Letter and landing that big interview.

Pause & Ask Yourself Why

Ask yourself why you are writing a cover letter.

Okay, so the job description mentions that you need to include one, but think about why this is being asked of you. It may seem tedious, and ridiculously time-consuming, but the whole point of a cover letter is to assist people at the other end of your application to decide whether they want to meet you.

Make their job easier! Sell yourself and your skills and enthusiasm for the role from the start.

O-riginal Tip: Don’t punish a recruitment manager by making him/her read two to three paragraphs before they even get to the relevant information about you (assuming they bother to keep reading). You don’t need a long-winded introduction, just get straight into it.

The trick is to think about what a prospective employer is looking for in an applicant for the role they have advertised, and respond appropriately. Normally job adverts have a helpful “about you” section or selection criteria where they actually list the qualities they are looking for in a successful applicant.

Each piece of information you include about yourself, your skills, or experience must serve the ultimate purpose of making you a more attractive applicant. If you are applying for a graduate role in a professional services industry, for example, ask yourself whether your babysitting career as a teenager is relevant. If it isn’t – don’t include it!

New Job, New Cover Letter

You know those carbon copy cover letters we all guilty of sending out?

You have a general template and then you do a quick copy and paste, with a few Ctrl F’s to insert the company or organisation’s name throughout your letter. Or you might be super savvy and have a mail-merge set-up.

Either way, go ahead and throw away any hard copies you have already printed into the recycling bin and straight out delete digital copies from your computer. This just isn’t going to work.

Any recruitment manager, CEO or senior partner worth their salt will take one look at this type of letter, roll their eyes and say “NEXT!”

You need to show that you are genuinely interested in the role.

Sending a one-size-fits-all letter will not cut it in this very competitive job market. It is clear to a recruitment manager that you have not invested any time or effort in applying for their role.

Recruiting and hiring staff is expensive, so it is up to you to prove to the company or organisation that you are worth that investment. It may seem like a lot of work, but taking the time to write a genuine and personalised cover letter that shows your personality will get your application noticed and drastically increase your chances of getting an interview.

O-riginal Tip: Always make sure your letter is addressed to a person and not “To whom it may concern.” If you cannot find a contact person on the company website, pick up the phone and give recruitment a call.

Always get a name.

Do Your Research

It seems like an obvious point but this really requires you to look past the first two pages of a company, organisation or government website.

If you are applying to work within a particular team, research the managers, partners or senior staff of that team. Stalk their LinkedIn profiles, look at their career progression, find out what boards they sit on and read up on projects, initiatives, cases or other work they have been, or are currently, involved in.

If you can use any of this information in your cover letter – do it. The trick here is to make it natural and part of a letter about you.

If you cannot use any of the above information, that’s fine – think about what team or role you are applying for, and how your past experience and/or skills will best align and complement the job. Highlight these, without repeating your resume.

O-riginal Tip: As you write your cover letter, think about highlighting a skill or quality you have, and explain how this has the potential to add value to the role or team. This way you can identify what you will bring to the role and also show that you understand the company and its values or objectives.

Keep It Short And Sweet

Format, tone and brevity are all important here.

Unless a job description specifically asks you to answer certain questions (and many government and graduate roles do), aim for a cover letter of less than 1 page and in no less than 11 pitch font.

O-riginal Tip: White space is super important. You want it to be easy to read. Stick to the basic rule of one idea to one sentence.

Keep the language formal but in your own voice. Applications for most professional service industry roles are still pretty conventional – we have not yet seen the kind of creative applications common among marketing and advertising roles filter through these industries.

Remember to make sure that you still sound like you.

The cover letter is your introduction or first impression to the company or organisation before they bring you in for an interview – stay true to you!

Proofread

More than twice. Probably three times. Definitely walk away from the draft before you come back to it and have a final read-through – out loud.

If nothing else, make sure that you have spelt the name of the company or organisation correctly.

Before hitting send, check you are sending your application from an appropriate email address!

O-riginal Tip: If you have highlighted your “attention to detail” then you better make sure that this attention to detail is plainly evident throughout your cover letter, and that your spelling and grammar are up to scratch.

At The End Of The Day

Applying for a new job in the current climate is not easy. But if you invest the time and energy into tailoring your cover letter to the role and organisation you want to work for, then you are far more likely to get a call for an interview and, potentially, the job!

Good luck with your applications!

Think we’ve missed anything? Would you like to see us cover more career hacks for Millennials? Let us know in the comments section below! 

You have to be friendly and affable.

You have to be thoughtful and charismatic.

You have to confidently circulate, oozing intelligence.

And as difficult as it is to achieve this perfect balance, you also have to do it all without coming across like a dog walking on its hind legs. It stands to reason then that resume-writing is consistently rated as one of the least preferred activities by Millennials. Most of us would rather have a meaningful conversation with a telemarketer than spend a few hours updating our CVs.

Unfortunately, to land your dream role in the current and highly competitive job market, a stand out CV is a not only necessary, it is essential.

Below is your Complete Guide to Writing a Kick Ass Job Application – everything you need to write a resume like a winner, and land your dream role.

How To Sell Yourself

Writing an excellent application is about effective communication.

Honesty speaks volumes.

Remember that your prospective employer is not a mind reader. He/she has no idea who you are, or what value you can bring to their organisation, unless you tell them! 

Don’t take any information for granted. At a minimum demonstrate your employability by canvassing the below questions:

• Why do you want the job?
• Why are you the right person for the role?
• How do your values or interests align with the position you are applying for?
• How does your skill or experience match the position they are looking to fill?

Pay attention to your structure, tone and content. Does it present you in the best possible light?

O-Rule: If you don’t have relevant industry experience, demonstrate how your current skills and experience can be transferred to the role you are applying for. This clearly indicates that you are self aware, possess emotional intelligence and have a sound understanding your strengths and limitations. 

Get Creative

If your application describes you as a creative genius, be sure to show your potential employer exactly why you hold yourself in this regard.

Back up your assertions with hard facts such as your relevant experience.

Honesty vs vanity: Know when to toe the line

The most efficient way to achieve? Tailor your application to the mission, vision and values of the organisation you want to work for.

If it is an design agency, for example, use your creative skills to show a recruiter exactly what you can bring to the team.

Interactive applications – always a crowd favourite.

If it is a travel company, for example, you can use a similar formula to transform your CV into a passport.

Reserve the first application page for personal particulars such as contact details and educational history (visas held).

Use the second page to outline your employment history which you have creatively reimagined, in this case, as travel stamps.

The same model works effectively for other creative industries, such as the music industry.

The great thing about this approach is that it simultaneously illustrates your individuality and ballsiness, willingness to go the extra mile and ability to think outside-the-box. It also shows an employer that you have a sound understanding of company ethos.

A simple but effective strategy guaranteed to win you an invitation to interview.

O-Rule: Never use a Microsoft Word template for your resume.

Ever.

Two Pages Maximum

Most employers are pressed for time.

Never exceed two A4 pages at 12 pitch. Volunteering too much information can run a high risk that your application will be discarded without consideration.

Use headings

• PERSONAL PARTICULARS
• EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
• EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
• CERTIFICATES AND LICENCES
• AWARDS
• VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
• HOBBIES OR INTERESTS

Use dot points

Avoid providing a detailed description of previously held positions unless: 1) it is relevant to your current application; or 2) you can confine it to one-two sentences.

If you do not have university or higher education qualifications, don’t panic! Most professional knowledge comes from on-the-job experience and training. A growing number of employers are now recognising this and abandoning university degrees as a prerequisite for hiring new staff.

O-Rule: Keep It Brief

Triple-Check Spelling & Grammar

Errors in basic spelling, grammar or inconsistent use of tense account for an enormous percentage of rejected applications.

Not if you forget to do a spell check, you won’t.

If spelling or grammar are not your forte, ask a friend to read over your application.

O-Rule: Never submit an application without having an independent set of eyes (a friend, family member or mentor, for example) look over it for language, consistency, tone and content.

Briefly Describe Yourself

Paint your prospective employer an image they cannot forget.

I’m betting on me!

Give your recruiter an insight into who you are and a solid reason to continue the conversation with you at interview.

Describe your personal attributes, skills and interests.

For example:

Nick is an incisive thinker and possesses highly-attuned attention to detail. He enjoys working as part of a dynamic team and thrives in an environment that requires working to tight deadlines and thinking outside-the-box. 

Nick is intelligent, reliable, outgoing, flexible, trustworthy, energetic, highly motivated, a fast learner, friendly, diligent, honest and can exercise initiative. Nick is also capable of working autonomously to achieve results. 

O-Rule: Use a work-appropriate contact email, for example: [your.lastname@gmail.com] 

Include A Personal Image

You may wish to include a high resolution head shot in your application.

When done the the right way, personal touches put your employer’s mind at ease. They can immediately see that you don’t have two heads, for instance.

A number of studies have revealed that attractiveness also plays an important role in an applicant’s ability to land a new job, as well as secure pay increases and promotions. Attractiveness is also thought to have a bigger impact on maximum earning capacity than higher education.

O-Rule: If you hold the beauty card, don’t be afraid to play it.

Play The Numbers Game

Send out as many applications as you can.

When you have 20-30 applications out in the world (as opposed to 2 or 3), you statistically increase your odds of being offered an interview by a significant margin.

Out of those 30 applications you may receive 5 invitations to interview, which could lead to 2 job offers.

Being able to cherry-pick between job offers places you in a solid negotiating position to start a bidding war between employers. If your skills are in high demand, an employer will fight to lock you into accepting their offer not only for their own benefit, but also to steal you away from the competition. This allows you to negotiate an attractive salary package and other employee benefits.

Write A Personalised Cover Letter

Generic cover letters leave a bad first impression.

It is obvious when an applicant has sent the same letter to multiple organisations.

To make a lasting positive impression, stay away from the standard [Dear Sir/Madam] or [To Whom It May Concern].

Research the organisation you want to work for and address your cover letter by name to the most appropriate person.

This will vary depending on the size of the company, organisation or government department. It could be the head of recruitment, HR Manager, Editor-In-Chief or even the CEO. Find out who is making decisions about your recruitment using Google, LinkedIn, the company website or even asking around.

You can even go one step further by performing some light internet stalking. It may be that the person recruiting you has only recently begun working in their role. If this is the case, start your cover letter by congratulating them on their new appointment. It shows that you take an active interest not only in the company but also the people who work there.

O-Rule: Never send the same cover letter to multiple organisations. 

Make Yourself Appear To Be A Low Risk Investment

Humans are naturally risk averse.

Recruiting new staff is one of the highest risk activities for any company, but particularly for startups. If you turn out to be the wrong person for the job they have wasted a considerable chunk of their budget on advertising, running the recruitment round, as well as the time and resources required to train you.

By putting yourself in your prospective employer’s shoes, and creatively demonstrating your ability to do the job in your application itself, you significantly lower that perceived risk and nudge yourself ahead of your competitors as the most attractive applicant.

O-Rule: The secret to being offered your dream job is to successfully establish yourself as a low risk investment. Align yourself with the qualities an employer seeks in an ideal candidate and make their decision to hire you the only logical option.

Think we’ve missed anything? Would you like to see us cover more career hacks for Millennials? Let us know in the comments section below!