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COVER LETTERS UCT Careers Advisory Team Your cover letter can be a powerful marketing tool and deserves just as much care as you’ve taken with your CV. The purpose of the cover letter is essentially to draw the recruiter’s attention to you – to what you have to offer and to your interest in the advertised opportunity. The cover letter should always be neat, brief and to the point. Avoid long wordy paragraphs, exaggeration or pretentious adjectives (e.g. nice, excellent, brilliant, perfect) and business jargon (unless related to the industry you are applying to). Standard, clear language will be more effective. As a general rule, do not exceed one side of an A4 page. Each paragraph should consist of just a few short sentences, using a formal professional style. As with your CV, one size will not fit all. The cover letter needs to be customised to each context and purpose. Ideally your cover letter should be addressed to a named individual, stating in the subject line what you are applying for. Highlight the main reasons you are interested in this employer and why they should be interested in you. Make sure that the summary overview of yourself in the cover letter can be backed up by the information contained within the CV – as evidence of the skills, qualities and experience you have to offer. Don’t repeat the phrases you have used in your CV.
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You may want to take this opportunity to put any interruptions, setbacks or changes of direction in your university studies into context. Where appropriate, you may also choose to highlight personal information that will enhance your application. The aim is to hit the right tone. Try to sound keen and genuinely interested, showing that you have done your homework on the opportunity and the organisation behind it. Unless you research what the employer is looking for and have spent enough time reflecting on your own skills, priorities and interests, your cover letter could fall into the trap of being superficial – a mere checklist of the job requirements or a set of sweeping claims about yourself and your abilities that are devoid of substance. By the time you have reworked your own cover letter several times, you may not be the best judge of the final product. Consult with family, friends and careers advisors, and please do remember to use the spell and grammar check facilities on your computer.
ANATOMY OF A COVER LETTER Take the trouble to find out the person’s name and designation. As appropriate, state the opportunity you are applying for and how you came to know about it. Indicate why the organisation should be interested in you: highlight skills, qualifications, achievements, work experience (fulltime, part-time, volunteer), and extra-curricular activities. Motivate your interest in the organisation and the opportunity. Make reference to the projects at the organisation that resonate with you. Indicate, if relevant, that you would like a personal interview and you are available at their convenience. Finish with a positive statement that encourages the reader to act on your letter.
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN CAREERS SERVICE GUIDE 2014