Writing a cover letter: What you need to know

All applicants wish they would know what exactly recruiters look for in a resume and cover letter. For the latter, the basic rule is to catch the attention of hiring managers and not bore them, considering the thousands of applications they receive every year. Thus an applicant’s motto should be: Go straight to the point! The objective is to “brand” yourself and convince the recruiter that you are a great fit for the offered position. Recruiters have some specific expectations regarding the format, structure and content of a cover letter. The cover letter complements the resume Candidates need to remember that most recruiters look at the resume first and then the cover letter. That makes it important to find a good balance between resume information and cover letter content. For example, there is no need to repeat what was mentioned in the resume, such as different job titles. The cover letter, meanwhile, should elaborate on selected resume information that is directly relevant to the job. “A lot of things don’t come through as clearly as they could or don’t seem to relate to the job just from the CV,” said Dawn Johnson, director of recruitment at Management Systems International. “A cover letter should be able to explain that. If there is an aspect of a job you’ve held or skills you have developed over several positions and you are able to flesh that out in a cover letter, then that is a really good use of that space.” Objectives of a cover letter So what exactly does a recruiter expect from a cover letter? “I like a cover letter that really is going to give me a feeling for the person,” said Donna Read, recruiter at ARD Inc. “I like a person to say why she is really interested in this project and not just give a platitude response at that point.” A cover letter should convey a candidate’s vision and mindset concerning a specific position. It should reflect one’s personal style. “The key is to keep it light and to involve me. I need to be hooked basically,” Read added. Visual aspect and length All recruiters seem to agree on this: A cover letter should not be more than one page. It is also recommended to avoid dense paragraphs. According to Read, recruiters always prefer “something that is not heavy to read.” The cover letter should have a business format, so using multiple colors and extravagant fonts is out of the question. “Cover letters must be very professional and well-presented using quality paper,” stressed Ann Collins, who works at the U.K. Department for International Development’s human resource department. “Ensure that the name and address details and date are correct and personal for the recipient. Cover letters should look individual for the post being applied for.” However, quality paper is not always required as most companies or agencies do not accept printed or mailed application anymore. Many are now using Web-based tools - like those provided by Devex - to receive applications. Structure pointers In order to engage the recruiter, a more storytelling style could be useful. However, it is not compulsory and depends greatly on the candidate’s writing style. Otherwise, finding key elements that are relevant to bring up and using one paragraph for each of them is a good idea. But once again, the challenge is to keep it concise. For most recruiters, a good introduction needs to be casual. Recruiters also appreciate candidates that mention where they heard about the job vacancy. “I tend to like ones that are pretty clear-cut,” Johnson said. “Let’s say: ‘Dear hiring manager, I am applying for the chief of party position in Peru that I heard about on Development Executive Group. I have lived in Peru for 10 years, speak fluent Spanish and I have been involved in other economic projects in the area, so I feel I am qualified.’ And then you explain your qualifications.” Concluding statements also need to be clear and straight to the point. There is no real need to include flowery language or demonstrate how passionate you are about the job. But it is always helpful to close with one’s contact information and availability. Read provided an example of good concluding remarks: “If you find that my skills and qualifications match … your needs, I would be happy to hear from you. If you need further information, please let me know. I will be happy to supply references.” Importance of keywords The content should convey to recruiters that the candidate has skills and experiences that are directly related to the job. This helps establish a candidate’s suitability for the proposed position. Candidates should look for keywords in job announcements and include them in their cover letter. A paragraph on each keyword could be a good strategy. The challenge for candidates is to integrate them into their own argumentation. “There is a phrase that we use and that is really good; it’s called ‘speak to my pains.’ Find out where I’m hurting. Look at my job announcement and think about where I am really hurting,” Read explained. “If someone is applying for a job with economics and they don’t use the word ‘econ’ or something close to it in their cover letters, I am going to assume they are not qualified,” Johnson added. However, candidates should be careful using their passion for development or poverty reduction and their will to make the world a better place as a key selling point. Competition is fierce, and the cover letter really aims to show why a candidate is the most qualified. “The cover letter should focus on what you bring to the job and not necessarily what the job could do for you,” Johnson said. However, junior candidates such as recent graduates and those with minimal experience might mention their interest in development and say they studied it in school to bolster their application. More do’s and don’ts - Do check your spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing style. Grammatical and typographical errors make candidates look bad. According to Read, such mistakes “are going to tell me a lot about the person.” This is particularly crucial for people who are expected to write reports. - Do not write two- or three-page cover letters. - Do not use “I” too often. It is considered poor writing. - Avoid phrases such as “I am an energetic, dynamic, teamwork-oriented professional,” Johnson said. “They are cheesy and they sound ‘canned.’” - Do not exaggerate by asserting you are the best at a particular skill. “Hyperbole will turn me off immediately,” Read warned. - Do not reveal too much of your philosophy and “bleeding heart story” on development. - Do not address your cover letters to the wrong companies. This is obvious, but apparently it is an error committed frequently even by experienced candidates. Tiziana Cauli and Oliver Subasinghe contributed reporting. Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.