How to write a great stand out Cover Letter

Our Job Search Consultant shares her insider tips.

Maj says:

"The cover letter is a claim for the role – it is your chance to highlight and match your experience against the job description and to clearly state what you can offer your potential employer.
It is a targeted single-page document to the person who advertised the position. It is often your first point of contact with an employer/recruiter to get them interested in reading your CV and interviewing you."

Your Cover Letter should show:

- Why you are interested in the role
- Your relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments
- Evidence that you have researched the company and that you would be a good fit.
Your cover letter's content should show three components:
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Why you are interested in the role
(use a strong opening line)
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Your relevant skills, experience,
and accomplishments
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Evidence that you have
researched the company and
that you would be a good fit

Structuring the Cover Letter:

Before you start the main part of the letter, write your mobile number, email address and Skype ID at the top left-hand side of the letter.
Follow this by the date and then write Re: followed by the title of the job you are applying for and a reference number if it’s provided.
Check the listing carefully as this reference is often at the end of the ad.
Then follow with a greeting, addressing the person by name (if at all possible).
The rest of the letter has 4 parts and should be succinct
(never more than 1 page):
1. Opening
  • Open with a strong statement giving the reason you are applying for the position.
2. Professional background
  • What you have you been doing, relevant to the role you are applying for. Be skills/achievements focused and focused on what you can bring to the company rather than what the company can do for you.
3. Personal fit
  • What kind of person are you (hint: mention your qualities which are aligned to the
    role)
4. Motivations
  • Your motivation for wanting to settle in NZ and why you want to live in that particular area. Invite the reader to contact you if they have any questions about your application.

Writing the Cover Letter:

Open with a strong statement giving the reason you are applying for the position.
What you have you been doing, relevant to the role you are applying for. Be skills/achievements focused and focused on what you can bring to the company rather than what the company can do for you.
What kind of person are you (hint: mention your qualities which are aligned to the role)
Your motivation for wanting to settle in NZ and why you want to live in that particular area. Invite the reader to contact you if they have any questions about your application.

Maj's advice:

If a contact person is mentioned in the listing, it is recommended that you make a connection, preferably by phoning them, so that you can introduce yourself and ask some questions about the role. That way your application will stand out.

In conclusion, in your cover letter you need to present a strong case for the best matched skills and experience against the job description.

Never send out a generic letter as this is one way to communicate that you have not tried to research the role or the company, and that you are not genuinely interested.

Read more about job searching in NZ:

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