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HR managers reading job applications have little time in their hands. That is why you need to put a lot of thought and care into writing your cover letter
You have visited Smartbizafrica.com or another job portal and found a job you like. Do you, like most job candidates, send an application without giving a second thought to the cover letter? Do you use the same boring cover letter...all the time? And you wonder why interviews are not forthcoming.
Job Specific Cover letters are one of the most important weapons in the job seeker's arsenal, and they need to be very thoroughly understood. Job specific cover letters contain your unique information and important standout material.
Cover letters are short, and every word has to count. You have about 350 words to convince the person reading your application that you are the person for that specific job, and more deserving of an interview than the average of ten other applicants who may get turned down.
We are will go through the cover letter process step-by-step, to make sure you can write a quality one.
Basic principles of job specific cover letters
These are the essential rules:
· Job specific cover letters are only supposed to be a page long. A page and a half is OK, if necessary.
· Think about what you're going to write. Before you start writing your cover letter, have a clear idea of what you need to say. The risk is writing a garbled, routine cover letter that only attracts negative attention.
· Don't repeat material already in your CV. You must add information.
· All material in your cover letter must relate to the job. Never go off topic, or refer to any subject not directly related to the position.
· Check your letter thoroughly. Make sure you feel confident about your information.
What to include in your cover letter
A cover letter is usually a first impression, and adds a lot to your job application. It explains more about you, including your skills, experience, achievements and career goals. This information can be the difference between getting an interview or a long unresponsive silence.
These are the big must-haves in your letter:
* Information regarding your motivation to apply for the job
* Evidence of superior skills and qualifications
* Evidence of added value to the employer
* Evidence of unique abilities
* Strong fit to the job criteria
HR managers reading job applications have little time in their hands. They can only OK people for interviews who are obviously a good match for the position. They have to be able to justify their recommendations. Because the applicants for a job all have similar skills, their CVs are likely to be similar. So the cover letter will be a major distinguishing element between applicants. Nobody writes the same cover letters, and they all have different information.
That's why you need to put a lot of thought and care into writing your letter. It doesn't matter if you are applying for a job with Central Bank of Kenya or with the shop near your estate; it is the interesting, informative applications that get picked for interviews. When we say you need to target every application, that's particularly true for your cover letters.
More job search tips
(1) Tailor your CV to answer the one question all employers are asking; why should I hire you out of the 5,000 applicants. Summarise your key competencies as the opening selling line. All employers want candidates who have excellent numeracy and written skills, analytical thinkers, good communicators, team players, self motivated and detail oriented innovators.
(2) Sex and religion are no longer relevant, remove these from your CV. Imagine your CV indicating that you are a born again Christian in an organisation whose HR manager is a devout Muslim. Chances are you would not get called for an interview.
(3) Make sure that the format of your CV is unlike the normal final year student CV format. As a rule, yours should look better than that of your peers.
(4) Prioritise work experience over academic qualifications. Remember the employer wants to know whether you can apply the theories learnt in school.
(4) Imagine a basketball in Nairobi Sports house; how much is it worth? KShs7,000? Now imagine a mere picture of a basketball in the hands of Michael Jordan; how much is that worth? Millions of dollars.
You are a brand, now go out there and sell yourself.
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