What an employer wants from your covering letter

If you want to stand out from the pile, ensure your covering letter meets the requirements of recruiters

Too often the covering letter is a job seeker's Achilles' Heel. That's because the candidate has often lavished hours on crafting their CV to make it as perfect as they can, only to produce the covering letter as an afterthought. The thinking behind this is that the CV will do all the hard work for you and the covering letter will just play a supporting role. Wrong.

Let's begin with probably the most common error I see time and time again. The covering letter that goes something like this:

Dear Mr Matthews,

I wish to apply for the (job title) vacancy, as advertised in (publication, date). Please find enclosed my CV, which I hope you will study with interest.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours faithfully,

Steve Szita

This is all very nice — it's a clear and polite statement of intent. But why waste a entire sheet of A4 just to inform the employer you are applying and have attached your CV? In today's extremely competitive job market, employers don't have to waste time on those who are just going to state the obvious and not use an opportunity to highlight their skills and strengths.

Perhaps its name tag "the covering letter" is the root of this problem? Indeed, to many, this name might suggest it's not very important, that it's just a note, merely attached to the all-powerful CV for a bit of casual clarification. Whatever the excuse, it's no longer the way to go.

With the current CV mantra being "stick to two sides of A4", space is at a premium. So, if you're going to add a third page in the shape of a covering letter, make sure it justifies its existence, seizes the recruiter's attention and keeps them reading.

One thing that is paramount when it comes to your CV and covering letter is that they should work together and complement each other. The covering letter should draw attention to your key skills relevant to the job and then the CV should expand on them. Very often, people make the mistake of writing the two in isolation.

From your covering letter, the employer wants to know:

Who you are and what job you want

Begin with a clear indication of the job you're applying for and where you heard about it. If you have the name of a direct contact or referral, this is the place to mention it. Dropping a familiar name is going to be an effective way of catching someone's eye.

What relevant skills you have and how you'll apply them

In paragraphs two (and three, if needed), you should then outline key aspects of the job and make direct comparisons with skills and experience you have. "I see that this role demands the ability to reduce costs. As commercial manager at XYZ Ltd. I made real savings of almost 20% (£100,000) in my first full year" — for example.

That you really understand what's required of you

Ensure you focus on the most important aspects of the role and make sure you relate them directly to recent and relevant experience. Remember, though this is your individual application for the job, do not attempt to write an application letter directly from the job advert.

If you have any additional skills over and above the job advert

In the next paragraph add any supporting information you feel is necessary, such as applied aspects of the role or what additional skills you can bring over and above the job specification.

Have a positive and professional attitude

Ensure your tone is confident and positive but don't overdo it otherwise you may come across as arrogant or pushy. Remember you're trying to get an interview, so you want to come across as a personable individual. Here's a positive example:

Dear Mr Matthews,

I wish to apply for the post of accounts manager as advertised in the November issue of People Management. As you can see from my enclosed CV, I have more than 15 years experience in company accounts, the last six of which have been in management roles. Together with my professional qualifications, proven track record and desire to advance further, I feel I am more than ready for the challenges your position offers.

Have taken time to get to know their business

Try to find out the name of the person responsible for recruiting the role and some key company information can also show that you've done your homework.

I understand from your recent annual report (2009) that you have rapidly developed your operations across the European Union. Having spent the best part of a decade working in different EU countries, I am very experienced in the various working methods of each member state.

Are concise, businesslike and to the point

Make sure your cover letter does not exceed one page. It should really only be about four or five paragraphs. It should also be in the same font and the same point size as your CV.

That you really, really want this job

Finally, you should sum up. Reaffirm you interest in the role, the company and the challenges ahead. Thank the recruiter for taking the time to consider your application.

Remember then to sign off "yours sincerely" opposed to "yours faithfully".

This article was first published in Guardian Careers on 22nd April by Steve Szita who is director of Dazzling CVs

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk

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There's no need to lie on your CV

An NHS worker was jailed this month for lying on her CV. But there's no need to stretch the truth when applying for jobs — the key to success is accentuating your real skills and abilities

You may have seen the story of Rhiannon Mackay, who was jailed for six months this month. Her crime? She lied on her CV.

To get the job of capital projects administrator with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, she falsely claimed to have two A levels and also forged a letter of recommendation. She used the same false CV to apply for 11 other jobs. It was only when her performance was deemed to be below par that managers at the Trust looked closer at her background and she was ultimately convicted using the Fraud Act 2006, making her the first woman to go to jail for CV falsification.

Should she have gone to prison? Was her crime so great? After all, survey after survey has shown that most people confess to having a CV that's not, shall we say, 100% truthful. This bending of the truth seems to be fair game and was even, you could argue, vindicated by Alan Sugar when the 2008 winner of The Apprentice, Lee McQueen, was caught red-handed lying (or at least exaggerating) on his CV yet still walked away with the big prize.

So why do people lie on their CV? After all, who's going to know if, for example, I nudge my grade C in GCSE maths to a B or say that I've five years experience in management when I've only got four?

The old adage that says "it's harder to get the job than actually carry it out" has much to answer for. You may think you can blag your way through the job in the early days until you get to know the ropes but, as Rhiannon Mackay found, this tactic can blow up in your face in spectacular fashion.

I highly doubt her conviction will change very much, especially outside the public sector. People will continue to subtly round-up qualifications and experience and, probably, continue to get away with it, providing they don't overplay their hands. These are difficult economic times and desperate times often lead to desperate CV writing — but it really doesn't have to come to exaggerating (or even telling barefaced lies) on your CV.

Here's my nine-point plan to help you stay on the path of CV righteousness.

· Although CV stands for Curriculum Vitae — 'the course of life' — it's really a sales tool, not an autobiography. Write with your goal and intended audience in mind. Don't write it as a memoir. Also, writing actively is more engaging than writing passively. For example, "I completed the project in under six weeks" opposed to "The project was completed in under six weeks by me".

· Open with a strong profile that's intelligently, confidently and attractively written. Make sure it clearly highlights your skills and experience in relation to the post you're applying for.

· One CV is not enough. If you're sending out identical CV's to every job you apply for, then you need to stop now. No two jobs are identical. Your CV should reflect this. Keep a master copy and adapt it accordingly.

· Don't send a CV out by itself. Your covering letter is equally important, as you will use it to focus the recruiter's mind on the job in question and how your skills and abilities meet his/her requirements. Clearly flag up your key qualities and illustrate with strong action words such as "achieved", ''enhanced" and "accomplished".

· Emphasise your current/relevant skills and experience. Most of the focus should be on the last five years. To help keep the CV short, sharp and arresting, don't be afraid to delete (or at least drastically cut) job information and skills that are not relevant. This is especially true if you have a history of temporary jobs or have undergone a career change. Of course, account for the time (don't leave gaps) but don't spend ages talking about it.

· If you make a claim about yourself (creative, team player, proactive) make sure you back it up with a real example which quantifies the claim. For example, "An accomplished team manager. When ABC Ltd and XYZ Ltd merged, I successfully led and integrated the two companies' accounts departments". And be ready to expand on it at the interview stage.

· When writing your CV, make sure it's well organised and clearly laid out, with well-defined headings and sections. It should be immediately obvious what each is about; career summary, professional qualifications, career objective and so on. The average recruiter will only spend a few seconds scanning your CV and won't waste time hunting around for the relevant information.

· With so much CV sifting and sorting now being performed electronically, it pays to work keywords into your CV. Make sure that they address areas including your industry, job titles, expertise, specialist skills, technical qualifications and the key companies you've worked for. This is not, however, a substitute for intelligent and professional CV writing where you describe and back up your achievements properly, more of an added dimension to the document.

· Finally, don't claim to have skills you clearly don't possess. If you do get the job, being unable to fully operate PowerPoint or Excel, for example, having claimed you're an expert, will create a terrible first impression.

It's possible to impress without stretching the truth — knowing how to make the most of your skills and abilities will do the job.

This article was first published in Guardian Careers on 1^st April by Steve Szita who is director of Dazzling CVs

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk

http://TwitJobs.net




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Calming the Pre-Interview Nerves

A fellow member of the Candidates Chair LinkedIn group and friend, Lisa Yoon, called me about an article she was writing on this topic and asked what I did in the hour before an interview.

Good or bad, I’ve had a fair amount of practice at this. I kept it to three things to build my confidence.

First, I ignored any thoughts of what I did not know. Just like cramming for a test in school, if you don’t know an hour beforehand, you will not learn it adequately in an hour.

Second, I wrote down the top 3 messages/themes I wanted to deliver. I find that most people recall 2-3 things following an interview. So make your know the most important ones to deliver a few times.

Third, I selected the five questions I felt were most likely to be asked. Then I practiced the answer aloud five times to help me sound more natural and comfortable that I worked my top messages/themes. This was my mantra, with each repeat of the answer, I felt more confident and relaxed.

Confidence in yourself cannot be underestimated when it comes to settling your nerves. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s often as important on ‘how’ you deliver the message, not just its content, that leaves a lasting impression.

Good luck this upcoming week.

Mark

www.candidateschair.com
With two transitions and running a job transition group under my belt, I have put my tools and advice on www.candidateschair.com - the site is all written from a Candidate's viewpoint.

http://TwitJobs.net




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