When you need to have a short and sharp cover letter, every word counts. Your cover letter structure needs to ensure that you have a strong beginning, middle, and end.
Beginnings
The most important thing is to find a name, so you can say ‘Dear Jo’ rather than ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. Go to the company website, look on LinkedIn, or just call the company up and ask the receptionist who is doing the recruiting. Getting a name shows that you’ve done your research, you’re professional and you like to connect with real people.
You, Me, We Cover Letter Structure
As far as the structure goes, I like the ‘You / Me / We’ format. In the first paragraph, you’re going to explain that you saw or heard a tole was being advertised and you are interested in the company because…(give examples of projects they have done, an award they have won or news articles that they have featured in).
Get specific about what attracts you to the role, organisation and industry. It’s another example of “I’ve done my research and I want to be a part of this team because it looks like you’re winning.”
Strong Middle
When you get to the middle of your cover letter, this where you need to highlight your ‘Why’s’. As in what skills, experience and qualifications make you the exact fit for the job. This is where you highlight your key achievements and explain why are you different from other candidates.
Strong Endings
When it comes to strong endings. You need to focus on making sure you use an active voice. This can be hard. The standard ending that you see is, “I look forward to further discussing this with you.” That’s a passive voice. An active voice is more like, “I am excited to discuss this role with you further to explain exactly why I would fit into the team.” Excited might not be a word that you’d particularly like to use. So how about eager?
It’s also important to say something like, “If you need any additional information or have any questions, please call me on mobile xxx xxxx xxx, or email me sarah@employmenow.co.nz.
Please note, it’s worth opening a new email account that you use just for job hunting. Try not to have something cute and fuzzy from when you were sixteen. DuckyFuzz@hotmail.com just doesn’t say employ me!
Summary
Strong beginning, strong middle and a strong active ending. Follow this cover letter structure and nail your job application, even when you hate selling yourself.