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Tailor Your Cover Letter

Three men sitting behind a wooden table while talking and taking notes

Your Cover Letter is the Key to Getting an Interview

The cover letter is the key to making it to the interview stage of the hiring process. It shows your skills with written communication, conveys personality, and reveals whether you’re sincerely interested in that company in particular. Hiring managers tend to look for two main components in a cover letter:

  1. The applicant has clearly researched their company (this is evident through references to projects, etc.)
  2. The applicant has a keen interest in their industry (this is demonstrated through personal projects and endeavours the applicant undertakes on their own time – blogs, social media dedicated to sharing particular interests, volunteer activities, etc.)

Note: Spelling and grammar errors will disqualify an applicant immediately, regardless of qualifications and content.

Before you begin

  • As with your resume, target your key points to a job posting (or an example of a job posting). To do this, make a list of the skills and responsibilities associated with the job. Then make a list of your specific skills, achievements and experiences that relate to the job description. 
  • Research the company! Find out about their major projects, events, clients, etc. You may want to reference something they’ve done to show you did your homework and are serious about the position.
  • Are you passionate about the target’s industry? Do you have examples of your involvement/interest in the sector (eg. do you write a blog, tweet constantly about the industry, have an Instagram account dedicated to the area, volunteer with related festivals/events..?) Include this!

In the body of the cover letter

You should include two main paragraphs in the body of the letter. One paragraph should address how you meet the requirements for the role. The other should emphasize why you want to work with them in particular.

  • Give examples and evidence of your key qualifications through the use of accomplishments, to illustrate how you can benefit the prospective employer/company (i.e., reduce operational inefficiencies, etc.)
  • Quantify your statements (i.e., how many phone calls did you receive in a 1 hour period? How many clients did you support?)
  • Don’t forget to add your personal interests  (for example your interest in the industry as evidenced through your blog) 

In your final paragraph

Ask for action (i.e., follow-up over the telephone, etc.) and include the sentiment that you appreciate the consideration of your application