YOUR COVER LETTER
How do you catch the employer’s attention? Here are some tips for your application, and some examples of good job applications.
Write a great job application that stands out from the crowd with these five steps:
Catch the employer’s attention and make him or her want to read on. In a good application, it’s important to consider what kind of company you are applying to. How can you can make a difference with what you wish to contribute? Make it clear what the workplace will get out of hiring you – not just what you personally wish to get out of the job.
“I HAVE DEEP RESPECT FOR (THIS) THEATRE’S COURAGE TO CREATE A NEW KIND OF ENTERTAINING THEATRE, AND I’D LOVE TO BE PART OF CREATING IT”
Make a link between the skills the workplace is looking for, the tasks they want done, and the skills that you can bring. Give some concrete examples of what you can contribute. Rather than trying to list everything on your CV, choose two or three relevant skills and spend some time putting them into the context of the company.
Describe how you work, and what personal skills you can contribute. Use examples to complement the adjectives. Choose two or three relevant personal qualities and describe them in detail. Instead of writing, “I am a structured, orderly person”, give the employer examples that create mental images. For example, try writing:
“I ALWAYS SORT MY SOCKS BY COLOUR IN THE DRAWER. I BRING MY SENSE OF ORDER TO WORK, SO YOU WILL GET AN EMPLOYEE WHO LOOKS AFTER THE DETAILS. YOU WON’T FIND E-MAILS DISAPPEARING INTO THE CROWD IN MY MAILBOX, AS I NATURALLY SORT THEM INTO FOLDERS, WITH COLOUR CODING”.
End your good application with a brief conclusion that points towards a job interview. You could for example write:
“I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU, AND I AM OF COURSE AT YOUR DISPOSAL SHOULD YOU WISH TO KNOW MORE.”
Three good tips for avoiding clichés
Use examples, puncture the employers’ clichés and analyse the needs behind them. Here are some tips on how to avoid clichés in an application.
1. The power of an example
Words like “structured” or “orderly” are open to interpretation. Give the employer a clear picture of your personality by using examples instead. If, for example, you consistently colour coordinate your e-mails, or always meet your deadlines, then write that. If you don’t have much experience to draw on, use something from home. If you date-stamp your freezer bags or make weekly plans for all your shopping, that also says a lot about you.
2. Reflect and puncture
It’s a good idea to mirror the language of the job ad you’re applying for, but employers aren’t cliché-free themselves. For example, the ability to “keep many balls in the air” is often a sought-after skill. Don’t blindly use the employer’s clichés. Use examples instead and puncture the clichés in order to analyse the needs behind them. If you’re a kitchen assistant, for example, you might need to have an overview of the week’s deliveries while co-ordinating the tasks for the day’s menu and planning next week’s meal schedule.
3. Target and limit yourself
If there are some adjectives you can’t avoid, then use the rule of thumb: target and limit yourself. Do some research on the employer or company, and use your analysis of the job advert when choosing adjectives to describe yourself. Choose a few adjectives that match the company to which you are applying. Avoid using the same adjectives in all your applications – you run the risk of your applications not being targeted enough.
