Cover Letter

Need help writing a Professional Cover Letter?

We can help write a perfect job application letter.

The reason why 90% of job application letters fail to reach the interview pile is due to poor presentation, content, and writing style - combined with a misunderstanding of what the recruiter is seeking in a candidate.

A Perfect CV specialises in writing cover letters that sell the skills and experience which match the job role – clearly, factually and concisely -  to present a compelling case for taking your application to the interview stage.

Getting your application letter right is crucial to making a good first impression and is often the only opportunity to position yourself prior to being selected for an interview

How a Perfect CV consultant will write your letter: 

Following Seven Key Steps, we . . .  

·       research the organisation to learn about their business

·       design a professional, visually appealing attractive format

·       study the job profile / person spec to gain an insight into the role  

·       draw on your CV Resume for the key points and expertise matching the role

·       include examples that demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm and quantified results

·       make clear what you have to offer that would benefit the company  

·       include just sufficient information to encourage recruiters to want to learn more

 Consider the following case study . . .

Maxine and Vicky were equally qualified for the jobs they were applying for.  Both submitted good CV resumes that highlighted their experience and achievements

Writing a general cover letter, Maxine outlined her career and aspirations and, to save time, she used the same letter for lots of different job applications.

Taking a more individual  approach, Vicky researched each company, and learned about its corporate culture, performance, strengths, weaknesses and strategic objectives.  She then addressed each letter individually, studied each job profile in depth, and tailored her letters to make it clear how she was an excellent match for each role. 

Importantly, Vicky substantiated her achievements with examples of her past success.

Although both job seekers were equally qualified, Maxine is still searching while Vicky's extra efforts paid off almost immediately.  Her online job application letters, tailored to each role, showed she had done her homework.  She gained greater credibility, attracted interest in her CV Resume, won lots of interviews and placed herself in the position of being able to choose from many job offers

If you´re unsure how to write a cover letter, we hope you find the following structure, guidelines and writing tips helpful.

Sample Cover Letter - Structure

Your contact information

The heading of the letter should include your full postal and email address, and phone number(s)

Employer or Agency contact information

Name and job title of recipient (if known)

Company name and full address

Date your letter

Salutation

Dear Mr / Mrs         (ideally address your letter to a named person)

Dear Sir or Madam (only if you cannot find out the recipient´s name)

Subject

If applying for an advertised position, insert job title and reference

First paragraph

The first paragraph of your cover letter should express your interest in the position, and indicate why the role is particularly attractive to you.

Second paragraph

Introduce your CV and briefly summarise your strengths - qualifications and/or experience in or knowledge of the company´s market sector

Third paragraph

This paragraph should draw attention to the most relevant aspects of your career - making strong connections between your skills that dovetail with their requirements.  Ideally, include two to three bullet pointed examples of your initiatives as they relate to the key requirements in the job description. 

Fourth paragraph

This could briefly refer to experience and achievements in your earlier career, but only if relevant to the job description

Final paragraph

Express confidence in your ability to contribute to the success of the company, and indicate that you look forward to taking your application a step further at interview

Complimentary close

Yours sincerely       if you know the recipient´s name

Yours faithfully       if you do not know the recipient´s name

Your signature

Typed signature

- - - - - - - - - - - -

We hope the example cover letter is helpful.  The key aspect to writing a perfect letter is to keep it clear, concise and compelling!  Not a life story and definitely not a repetition of your CV!

If you would like A Perfect CV to write your letter, follow this link, attach your CV resume, provide details of the job advert, complete the secure Order  Form ... and we will do the rest.   

You will receive an acknowledgement, and a proof of your letter will be emailed to you within three days.  We also offer a same day service for urgent job applications.  

And don´t forget ..  ..   to send a follow up letter after the interview to confirm your interest.  `Thank you´ letters keep you in the interviewer´s minds eye and can influence employment decisions.  A thank-you letter is a good opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism. 

Dear Helga, Thank you very much for sending the Motivation letter to me, I really liked it and couldn't have possibly written it any better!  You summarised my ideas better than I could have done myself.  Agaoin thanks a lot for all your help, I will let you know how I get on.  Kind regards, Dina     25th August 20009

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