Posted by CV Writers on Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Too often we see information in covering letters simply cut and
pasted verbatim from the CV. With a job seeker churning out lots of
applications perhaps this is understandable. Until that job seeker stops
to think about why they are not getting any interviews. Cutting and
pasting the same paragraph into both a CV and covering letter is a
little demeaning to recruiters. I mean, is it seriously expected that
having read a letter and then a CV just a few seconds later that the
recruiter will not realise they are reading the same thing?
It's important to think of a CV and covering letter as one unit. Call
it 'a job application' if you like (I nearly putting an apostrophe here
but thankfully re-considered). The two need to work together. To be
precise, one should lead to the other. The covering letter should point
towards the CV.
Advertisers talk about the importance of a 'call to action'. The call
to action in a covering letter is to 'read my CV'. It's easy to think
about how to construct the perfect covering letter by breaking it down
like this:
1. Confirm the role you're applying for.
2. Provide any information that enhances your application (that isn't in your CV).
3. Convince the recruiter to read your CV (the call to action).
It really is that simple. Don't get bogged down writing reams of
information in the covering letter. Keep it succinct and snappy. Don't
repeat information. Have a clear call to action.
Follow these guidelines and you can be confident any recruiter will
be pouring over your CV and giving your application serious
consideration.
|
For updates on Science Jobs, Companies, News & Career Advice, Follow us on: |
|
|
|
|
Site content copyright © 2005 - 2012. Access Job Boards Ltd all rights reserved.
