Recruiters, hiring managers, and other employment professionals use cover letters as an opportunity to learn more about candidates. While they have the potential to be a valuable asset in your job applications, sometimes writing a cover letter can be a difficult task.
Whether you’re writing for the first time or need a last-minute letter for your next job application, we have tips, hints, guidelines, and what recruiters look for in cover letters to help you make the most of your opportunity.
Recruiter Cover Letters – What Should a Cover Letter Entail?
With our many years of experience as a recruitment agency, we at Lowie aim to see the below in each cover letter received:
- Who it’s addressed to
- Clear and succinct language
- Achievements related to the role
- Highlighted work experience and skills in reference to the employers requirements
- Genuine excitement and enthusiasm for the job
- A list of the most significant achievements from previous experience
- Why you’re the person for the job
We specifically look for cover letters that are tailored to suit each job, and those that demonstrate just how good a fit a candidate is in relation to it. All too often, we see cover letters that are primarily generic and not tailored to the role, or even worse, sent to another company and still have their name in.
What Recruiters Look for in Cover Letters – A Deeper Dive
Just like us, many recruiters are impressed by a cover letter in which a candidate talks about their passion and motivation for a role. It’s great when we see highlighted key competencies, and when candidates pull two or three points to demonstrate that they have a very transferable skill set.
Below, we’ve dived in a little deeper and outlined some tips on the specifics of what recruiters look for in cover letters:
- Ensure you address your cover letter to the hiring manager – By this, we mean that you should avoid phrases like ‘’to whom it may concern’’, and ‘’Dear sir/madam’’. It’s just too generic, and is one of the quickest paths to the recycle bin. Instead, try to address the recruiter by name, this could really win you some bonus points.
- Use clear language – It’s true; no one really is that impressed by fancy language that they have to take time to look up. Try to avoid using overly technical language, unless the role you’re applying for is in NASA.
- Nail the first impression with proper grammar – First impressions are everything, and spelling or grammar mistakes all over your cover letter are sure to only ruin your chances. Don’t forget to hit that spell check button.
- Always close with confidence – Finally, go ahead and close your cover letter with an exciting closing paragraph that wraps up your passion, motivation, and exactly how much value you can bring to your future employer.
This is your opportunity to shine, and expand upon your skill set -ensure you put the effort in and use it wisely.