CV Cover Letter Content


Cover Letter content is enormously important.

This letter is your chance to differentiate yourself for a specific position, to demonstrate, immediately, why you are the right person for the job, to ensure that your CV is read with, perhaps, a more sympathetic, or interested, eye.
However, as noted elsewhere, many recruiters will completely ignore a cover letter and go directly to your resume or CV. To increase the chance that it will be read – keep it short, lots of white space, easy to read and one page maximum. The following elements may be included:

* Central header, in bold – position title, reference number, where advertisement was seen.
* 1st paragraph – third party referral if you have one, very powerful.

Why you are writing, confirm you are suitable.

* 2nd paragraph, reconfirm specific experience, followed by (up to) six bullet points defining skills in specific, required areas of expertise.
* 3rd paragraph – thank the reader for their time and consideration; state how/where you may be contacted 24/7; ask for the interview!

There are, of course, characteristics that you should avoid, that will ensure that your cover letter will not be read:

* Longer than one page
* Full of type with little white space.
* Letters that look like every other letter e.g. from Word template
* Letters without CV
* Letters that are supposedly humorous – don’t bother trying!

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