Perhaps you are in your final months of university and you have been searching job portals for the most suitable prospects out there. It is probably exciting to see how many options are available for jobs where you qualify and interest you.
Perhaps you have even installed job alerts so that if a position crops up to fit your profile you will have the chance to send your CV and letter of application.
The challenge of course is that today’s job market, all over the globe, is hugely competitive. So what will you do to increase your chances of being noticed when that unicorn of a job presents itself?
You will want to make sure that your CV is as professional as possible and you will want to include an outstanding, formal written application letter.
But if you are wondering how to write an application letter, then this article will provide the answers to your structure of cover letter search.
So the question is what is the purpose of a cover letter? Keep reading as that is question Superprof tackles here.
Why a Letter of Application Should Be Adapted
For many job seekers, there is a belief that the more CVs that are sent out, the more likely it is that they will be granted an interview. These days it is so easy to send out many digital versions of a document at virtually no effort and no cost.
The fact is that a formal, written application letter can make all the difference to a job application. But it is important that it is personalised for each position.
So, if you want to know how to write an application letter, keep reading.
Most graduates face a common conundrum – having the necessary qualifications but not the experience that so many job adverts demand.
One way to approach this is to consider that your university qualification, student and general life experience added together, probably make a powerful story. This is where your ‘structure of cover letter’ search could help you.
First, what kind of content is relevant to a job letter of application? Perhaps you have belonged to a student union or participated in student groups. Perhaps you have played sport or taken part in other activities that attest to your mental and physical endurance.
Perhaps you have volunteered your skills or time with a charity or engaged in extracurricular activities. All of these facets of your life can add impetus to the contents of our formal written application letter.
When it comes to what is the purpose of a cover letter, one can also consider it from the perspective of a hiring manager.
Bear in mind that as they skim over dozens of applications, they will be looking for ones that stand out.
First, make sure you search ‘structure of cover letter’ to help you to produce a neat and orderly document. Next, you will need to think about the content of your cover letter. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of a cover letter?
Try to reflect more than just your academic experience, but rather some of your spirit and who you are as a person.
Remember that you are more than the sum of your education, but no one will know unless you know how to write an application letter with flair.
Don’t forget to read our tips on how to write a CV.
About Templates
Most job search websites provide CV and letter of application templates. If you are searching ‘structure of cover letter’ then sites like these are probably a good place to start.
You might notice that those templates contain heaps of space for listing experience, but if you are only starting your career, that will not work for you. Templates can therefore be tricky when they expect you to conform to their parameters.
Templates can be useful but a discussion with one of your lecturers can also help with a good structure for a CV and formal application letter.
In this series, we also have other tips on how to write an application letter.
Uploading Your CV
Many job sites will allow you to use their CV templates for free and then upload your document onto their system for prospective employers. This might seem like good practice, but also remember that you may not want your information with all of your contact information floating around in cyberspace.
If protecting your data is important to you – and it should be, then uploading your CV could be the opposite of protecting yourself.
Another important reason for electing not to upload your documents onto websites is that they remain static, which means that they will not adapt to every unique job application.
This means that when your profile is set to public, then your approach is no more evolved than the job seeker mentioned above who sends out a hundred general CVs and letter of application in the hope that one will stick.
Millions of job seekers know that this is a strategy that just does not work.
Another effective strategy for landing follow-up interviews is to write thank-you notes for the first interview.
Adapting your CV
Right now, while you are still in school you could create your own template CV. Write your header that includes your personal information and educational background. Next list any awards and extracurricular activities.
You can also list skills, hobbies and interests that may be relevant in the workplace. All of this is part of writing a good CV.
A good CV should be around two A4 pages in length. Also, don’t worry if you have space left over after compiling the skills and experience you have to date.
When applying for specific jobs, adapting your CV to suit the position starts with carefully reading the advert.
Most job adverts will publish the requirements and skills for the job. When you compare what the position requires against what you have to offer, ask yourself if you are a potential candidate.
Of course, you will not meet the requirements for every listed qualification, especially early on in your working life.
There’s also a good chance that you have more than a few skills and attributes, but a good practice would be to delete the ones that are not mentioned in the job advert.
If it happens that you are missing a few critical skills, you could adapt your CV to list transferrable skills and similar experiences.
Find tips on finding your first job.
Adapting Your Cover Letter
The formal written application letter and CV go together, so remember that if you adjust one, you should adjust both.
So, what is the purpose of a cover letter?
To reiterate, it serves to introduce you and elaborate on why you feel believe you are suited to the position.
Your first paragraph should contain a reference to the job you are applying for and where you found the advert. This could be a newspaper, website or online job board.
In the first paragraph, you should list the job title you’re applying for and where you found the advert – an online jobs board, your university’s recruitment events or in a newspaper.
The second paragraph should quickly get to the heart of the application and why your skills are a match for the position.
Ideally, these points could be raised in bulleted statements in a similar way to how you would prepare for a phone interview. Here are some examples:
- As a key member of my school’s debating team, I need critical thinking skills to debate a wide range of topics, from immigrant rights to sustainable farming.
- As I advanced through school, I availed myself to junior students as a mentor.
- I was the team captain for the swimming club.
- In spite of my heavy academic workload, I volunteered at various local organisations in my city during my holidays.
You may not think that your achievements amount to much, but, as you can see, they can add to your chance of being granted an interview.
The list above is a good example if you are applying for a position that requires leadership skills. The above list is a fine example if you’re applying for a job that calls for leadership skills. But what if it is a job that doesn’t, what if it is a sales job?
In that case, you could emphasise your debating team experience to highlight your advanced communication skills and demonstrate that you are a team player.
With some practice, adapting your CV and cover letter for every position is not difficult. Once you get the hang of it, you will wonder why anyone would send out a general and impersonalised CV.
Finally, don’t forget to proofread carefully after every update.
Now find out how you can prepare for your phone interview.
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