How to write a covering letter that will make you stand out

You’ve brushed up your CV and feel you’re ready to start applying for your next role, but before you do, you need to remember that your covering letter is just as important as your CV. A covering (or cover) letter is a one-page document written to express how you are the right candidate for the job you’re applying for. Here are our top things to remember to make yourself stand out:

Don’t regurgitate your CV

A cover letter should be succinct, to the point and go hand in hand with your CV – it should not be a word for word repetition.

Sell yourself

Hiring managers may see hundreds of CVs and covering letters for one role, so it’s incredibly important that you set yourself aside from the rest – and the best way to do this is to sell yourself. Tell the hiring manger exactly why, from your current or past experiences, you would be the right fit for the role. You should detail your achievements to date and be sure to bring it back to why you would be the ideal candidate for the position.

Make it tailored

One of the worst mistakes people make is not personalising their covering letters. Where possible, make sure the cover letter is addressed personally to a hiring manager and always make sure that you show you’ve done your research on the company by highlighting exactly why you would like to work for his/her organisation.

Show some personality

Hiring managers want to know that you’ll be a good fit with their company culture and will be best placed to know this either way through your submission.

Finally, show your personality. Hiring managers want to know that you’ll be a good fit with their company culture and will be best placed to know this either way through your submission. Making sure your personality stands out means the hiring manager is more likely to give your application a second look. However, be careful to remain professional throughout. Find the right balance between the two and you’ll be on the way to a job interview.