When it comes to applying for a new job – or a first job – it is not just the contents of your CV that will influence your potential employer into handing over an employment contract. Although many people dismiss the cover letter as just a vehicle on which to submit the CV, it’s actually a very important document.
Whilst a CV is usually more facts and figures, the cover letter is a form of communication and the way that you structure it, as well as what you decide to include, can either make you stand out from the crowd as a potential candidate, or see your CV thrown to the rejections pile without the first page of qualifications even being read over. If you really want to make your application stand out, here are some creative cover letter ideas to make sure that it does.
Tailor your cover letter specifically to your future employer. Perhaps not the most creative of ideas but a lot of people miss this one. If your cover letter is a generic ‘please find enclosed’ then you don’t have a hope of standing out from the crowd and you’re almost guaranteed to end up in the ‘meh’ pile.
Use the cover letter as a brief personal statement. Most job applicants don’t make the most of the cover letter as a platform to really sell themselves. Most people also don’t appreciate what kind of a barrier your cover letter can put up if it is too bland. Treat this page as a brief personal statement – condense the best of your experience, personality, motivations and commitment and showcase hints of it here.
Introduce a bit of your personality. This is something of a marmite option as if your potential employer doesn’t like the bit of personality you include then your application is for the bin. But then perhaps that employer wasn’t right for you anyway? The best way to do this is short and sweet – open with a saying or motto you like or find inspirational. Nothing too heavy, nothing offensive and nothing crass.
Following on from introducing your personality, don’t be trite. A cover letter should not be filled with clichés and marketing speak.
The opening line is extremely important. In fact, so is the entire opening paragraph. This is what your potential employer will read initially and where their first impressions of you will start to form. If you can only open with ‘Please find enclosed..’you’d better hope they don’t nod off before the letter gets interesting.
Illustrate your points with examples. This is a great idea to really bring your cover letter alive. Use case studies of successful projects, descriptions of positive situations or even a quote or two.
Don’t go on. This is key. Your letter must be condensed, every word should count. Long and rambling cover letters – especially where the reader has to get right to the end to get to the good stuff – are ineffective at best.
Stress that you continue to learn. What you want to achieve in your cover letter is a sense of someone who has lots of experience, without a ‘been there, done that’ arrogance. No matter how many qualifications you already have, stress that you are keen to continue learning and that every challenge you come across represents an opportunity to do this.
Image credit: Flickr.com/Rsms
John is a guest blogger from Monster jobs career advice - download 
