How to write the perfect Cover Letter to apply for your Dream Job?

Not too sure how to write a Cover Letter for your job application? Thinking of how to improve your profile to make your job hunting experience better? We are here to give you some tips to write the perfect Cover letter when applying for your dream job.

Why do you need a cover letter for job applications?

Your cover letter is important as it is often the very first contact you will have with a job recruiter or employer when applying for a job, so it needs to make a great impression to give you a higher chance for you to get the job you wanted. A poorly-worded and sloppy introduction will make you look unprofessional, and could even mean that your CV is not being opened and read by them when they see your job application. This would cause you to lose a chance of having your dream job. However, a professional and persuasive cover letter will greatly increase your chances of getting shortlisted for the job that you want. To ensure that you make it through this hurdle of the job application process, here are a few tips that will come in handy:

1. Send it via Email when applying for a job

When possible, you should send your cover letter via email to give yourself maximum control over the look and feel of the message in job applications. When you send a cover letter through a job site, the resulting message might convert it into a plain text email that won’t look very professional for your job profile. So always attempt to seek out the recruiter’s email address and send them a direct email in the job advertisement other than just applying through the job site. To make access easy for the potential employer, write your cover letter in the body of the email as opposed to attaching as a separate document when applying for a job. Be mindful of how you name the file of your CV as it will be clearly displayed when the email is opened for job applications.  

2. Make the subject line stand out

The best way to ensure that your emails are opened is with an eye-catching subject line during your job application. If your subject line is boring or irrelevant to the job you applied, then it may go unnoticed by recruiters. Recruiters want to see highly suitable candidates when they look into their mailboxes; hence give that to them in your subject line when applying for a job with them. Outline the most relevant job experience in your subject line, in order to show that your email is worth reading and is suitable for the job you have applied.  

3. Address the recruiter personally

Building relationships with recruiters is crucial when job hunting, so start building connections early by addressing recruiters by name in your cover letters during your job applications. If you are able to build a rapport with recruiters, then they are much more likely to put faith in you as a genuine candidate looking out for a better job and will recommend your CV to the potential hiring managers who have a suitable job role for you. At the very least you should open with a friendly greeting such as “Hi, hope you’re well” when applying for your dream job.  

4. Balance professionalism with personality

Cover letters should be well written with perfect grammar, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t inject some personality for your job hunting applications. Being overly formal in the modern job search can actually be a huge turn off for some employers. The phrase “people buy people” holds very true in job recruitment so write in a friendly tone to show that your business-social skills for your job hunting. The writing style of your cover letter when applying for a job should demonstrate your professionalism, but also your ability to connect with people on a personal level.  

5. Keep your cover letter brief

The days of cover letters taking up a whole page of A4 are thankfully over. Unless an employer specifically requests otherwise, you should always keep your job application cover letter short and sharp. Some recruiters will receive hundreds of applications per week, so there is no point in trying to make them read a lengthy cover letter when you apply through their job advertisement– they just don’t have the time. Keep your cover letter to around 2-4 sentences to ensure that you get your point across quickly without boring the readers and to let recruiters access your suitability for the job role in the shortest time possible. Breaking the text up into short simple lines, will ensure ease of reading and make the information quickly digestible for job recruiters.  

6. Focus on the value you can add

In order to persuade job recruiters to consider your CV for job application, you simply have to indicate that the experience content is suitable enough to perform the job role you are applying for. A very high-level summary of your job experience that doesn’t go into too much detail should be enough to tempt recruiters to read your CV during a job application. In particular, you should determine the most essential job requirements from the job advertisement and make sure that your cover letter reflects those abilities for the job role. At this early stage, you should avoid mentioning demands such a salary and holidays to avoid appearing pushy and selective for your job application. You can always discuss these points during your initial telephone conversation with the recruiter to get a rough idea to ensure that the job gives some reasonable benefits.  

7. Add a professional signature

Always end your cover note with a friendly salutation for your job applications such as “kind regards” and a well-formatted professional signature that includes your mobile number. This will add to the professional job appearance of your cover letter for your job application and show that you are well versed in business-email etiquette. It also means that the job recruiter will have a direct method of contacting you, even if they cannot open your CV for any reason for your job application.