How to write a great cover letter

A good rule of thumb is that a cover letter should be a maximum of 1 page. Or 500 words to be more precise, as “1 page” can have many different interpretations. You won’t be doing your reader any favours by cramming a lot of text into 1 page!

Make your cover letter easy to skim read, allowing the company to quickly and easily form a clear overview of what you want to say. You can do this by e.g.:

• using subheadings in the cover letter
• highlighting specific keywords in bold
• using bullet points if you need to list something.

You may want to add subheadings to your job cover letter to make it look less cluttered and thus easier to read.

Here is a structure you can use for inspiration:

TRANSCRIPT – JOB TITLE

Why I’m applying for the job as XXX

(…)

What I can bring to the job

(…)

What I am like as a person

(…)

When space is limited, it’s important that you only write what is relevant to the particular company and job. Write clearly and distinctly and avoid unnecessary fillers.

Do you know anyone who could read through your cover letter for you? Take advantage of the offer and get a fresh perspective and help to declutter any excess words.

The first thing you need to do to target your cover letter to a specific job at a specific company is to describe why you’re applying. So start with your motivation, making it clear what you find exciting about the job and the company. For example, you could continue the sentence: “I am applying for this job as XXX because XXX.”

It’s a good idea to research the company’s current challenges, vision and mission. These can easily be found via social media, the company’s website, or perhaps the company has recently been in the media.

Reference it in your cover letter, if it’s relevant to either the job you’re applying for or your motivation for applying.

Be careful not to write only about yourself without targeting it to the company.

Keep checking that you are linking your skills and experience to the job and the company. For example: “In my last job, I worked primarily with XXX. This means I can contribute XXX.”

It’s a good idea to use some of the words used in the job advert in your cover letter. In a way, your cover letter is a “response” to the job advert.

Using the same phrases and words shows that you can take the key elements from the job advert and relate them to your skills and experience.

A good job cover letter definitely includes examples. Examples of how you would approach a specific task. What tasks you have previously completed that are relevant to this job. Or which character traits define you as a person. Always support what you write with examples.

It’s better to just highlight key information with supporting examples rather than saying too much.

Many job adverts often contain a lot of platitudes when describing the personal qualities the employer is looking for. For example: “You are structured and good at maintaining perspective in high-pressure situations.”

It will take a bit more effort, but avoid repeating the platitudes by just writing: “I’m structured and have always been good at keeping track of multiple tasks – even in high-pressure situations.”

The employer can’t do much with this information because it doesn’t really reveal anything specific about you. Instead, talk about how you work in a structured way and what you’ve done in previous jobs when you have been in a high-pressure situation.

Write a brief description of who you are so that the company has the impression that there is a real person behind the cover letter. This could be a quote from a former manager that describes your way of working, or a statement from a former colleague about what you’re like as a colleague.