A cover letter is often a first piece of information that you share with the prospective employer to introduce yourself. It is an opportunity to elaborate the key highlights of your resume, and also communicate other relevant facts that are generally not incorporated in a resume. For example- reason for any gaps between jobs, relocation, change of industry etc.
A well-crafted cover letter will speak volumes about you as a professional and help the recruiter to distinguish you from other candidates with a similar profile. Therefore, it is always important to include a well-articulated cover letter which is tailored to the listed role to stand you out from competition.
You do not need a cover letter if it has been specifically mentioned by the employer not to share one, or you are uploading your CV to recruiter’s website but there is no option to upload a cover letter.
The other scenario in which it is better to avoid a cover letter is when you do not know how to write an appropriate one. Sharing a poorly written cover letter is worse than not sharing any at all because it will most certainly diminish the prospect of getting the recruiter interested in reading your CV.
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Recruiters get hundreds of cover letters for the same role and do not spend more than 5-10 seconds to scan each letter. Therefore, keep your cover letter short and concise that fits in one page. Make sure that it aligns with the job description and captures the essence of your profile to catch the reader’s attention. Write between 200 to 400 words in 3-4 paragraphs. here is what you should include and how you should format a cover letter-
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Below is a Sample Cover Letter for a position of Senior Administrative Manager-
Candidate’s Name Date: Hiring Manger’s Full name Job Title Company Name Email id RE: Position of Senior Administrative Manager with ABC international (HK) Ltd. (Ref “AB-123456”) Dear Mr./Ms. (Hiring Manager’s last name), I am writing to express my interest in the above referenced position of Senior Administrative Manager advertised on Jobsdb. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and over 9 years of extensive work experience in office administration, I believe that my experience will add significant value to your organization and this is the kind of role that would enrich my experience in this field. In my current role as Administrative Manager with LMN Services, I have been in-charge of day-to-day running of business and have successfully handled support services to facilitate daily activities across departments. I have trained and mentored a team 25 Assistant Managers to provide seamless administrative support in Hong Kong and PRC. Being a multilingual with fluent English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, my core strength lies in effective communication that enabled me to establish and maintain thriving communication networks internally- within the organisation, and externally- with external vendors and stakeholders. I have a track record of successfully negotiating deals with vendors year on year that resulted in savings of about HKD 1 million in last 3 years. I am an organised professional with sound time management skills and deep understanding of organisation’s requirements. My expertise include coordinating across functions, scheduling meetings, and organising conferences in addition to keeping records and updating internal and external stakeholders. I also have in-depth experience in formulating and implementing Administrative policies and procedures ensuring compliance with organization values, prevalent laws and regulations. Thank you for your time and consideration. My detailed resume is attached for your perusal. I look forward to scheduling a meeting with you at a mutually convenient time to discuss more about this position and the contributions I can make to your organisation. Yours truly, Candidate’s Full Name |