Cover letter: The key to getting that coveted interview

By  Goretti Kimani

All job applicants want to be short listed and invited for an interview for every job applied. Unfortunately for most, invitation for an interview is a rare occurrence. This normally leaves the applicant disillusioned and wondering where they are going wrong.

But even as the job seeker mulls over the reasons why he missed out on his or her dream job, analysts say the lack of an effective cover letter might be a major contributor.

A cover letter is a critical component of a job application. While many individuals put in a lot of efforts to ensure that their CV is great, they direct little effort at the cover letter. In fact in some extreme cases, CVs are forwarded to prospective employers without a cover letter at all.

Selection Tool

A cover letter is an opportunity for the applicant to put their best foot forward. It serves as great selection tool for employers. It goes without saying that a bad or missing cover letter can lead to a disqualification from an interview.

It is therefore very important to ensure that for every job you apply for, an effective cover letter accompanies it.

To an employer, a CV without a cover letter indicates lack of confidence in the applicant in securing an interview chance. Many employers will not even bother perusing such a CV.

So what makes a good cover letter?

First you must ensure that the letter is not a reproduction of your CV. Rather it should hold the key highlights of your education and achievements thus far.

Key Strengths

It should also capture the key strengths that you intend to bring into the organisation. Avoid rushing through the writing, and ensure you use the correct grammar, punctuation and sentence construction.

 And contrary to popular belief, there is nothing like a standard cover letter. Every cover letter should be customised to the particular job applied for. The so called standard letters are boring and uninspiring to read, and paint a bad picture of the writer.  But even as you write a pleasant and encouraging cover letter, remember that it must be formal, official and unassuming.

Some individuals also take the cover letter too far, and include a lot of unnecessary details, and sometimes might beg or cajole the recipient to consider them for an interview. Doing this, as it is the surest way of ensuring your application ends up in the trash can.

Very Sensitive

The length of the cover letter is also very sensitive. While a very long letter may put someone off, writing five sentences in the name of a cover letter may portray you as lazy and a joker. Generally a length of between 300 to 400 words is deemed appropriate.

Take note to break and order the information into several average sized paragraphs, as opposed to one long boring text, even as you maintain the appropriate official font type and size.

Finally, remember that a good cover letter is like a ticket to getting short listed. It is therefore critical to think like the employer during the writing process. In case you feel deficient, have a mentor or a professional to provide the much needed second opinion before you hit the send button.

The writer is a human resource specialist with Peoplelink Consultants Ltd.  Email: [email protected]