Ah, the cover letter- the CV’s more creative brother. The cover letter doesn’t let you just list your skills and employers, it wants you to turn them into prose! While this seems daunting at times, the fact is it is almost as formulaic as a CV, and if you follow some simple steps you’ll have it looking professional in no time.
First off, address it correctly. The hiring manager has a name, use it. “Dear Mr. Smith” goes a lot further than “dear sir/madam.” If you can’t find the name, “to whom it may concern” works- but when possible should be avoided.
Your opening paragraph is where you can get creative- but also where you should start talking about why you admire the company. Open with the job title you want- then describe why that job at that company is so exciting. This helps you prove that you’ve done your research. The first paragraph is also where you should mention that your CV (and any other documents that you are sending) are attached. In the off-chance that something gets lost, the cover letter will serve as a reminder that there were other things attached.
You should then move on to listing a few recent employers, and the skills that you used while working for them. Start with whoever you are/were working for most recently- it being current makes it relevant. Then move on to whichever jobs best exemplify the skills you want to bring to this company, and that this company wants you to bring to it. If you are applying for sales, working in HR, but worked in sales 3 years ago- talk about the sales job in your cover letter. Be relevant both in timeline and skillset.
When writing this you do want to think about the tone of the cover letter, especially in terms of the tone of the company. If you are applying to work at a prestigious law firm, you’re going to want to sound pretty professional. If you are applying to work at Snapchat, or another mostly millennial tech start-up, you might want to sound a little bit more fun. Know your audience, be like your audience. Hiring managers tend to like candidates that are similar to themselves, so do what you can to sound like part of the company.
The other thing to consider with tone is the use (or lack of use) of jargon. Though it seems tempting to drop a couple industry exclusive words, it may be a lot more trouble than its worth. Remember that your CV is usually going to be read by a hiring manager- not someone who is guaranteed to be specialized in your field. If you fill your cover letter with jargon it may read like you filled it up with gibberish. Again, it is important to know your audience, and what your audience may or may not know.
A solid cover letter can be a little time consuming, but if you follow this advice, you’ll have one that will impress. Follow the formula, know the reader, and stay professional- and you will have a cover letter that you’re proud of.