Always have cover letter problems.....please help?

misscpmfan

Hi

I'm always confused on how to write cover letters.
I was told recently that they need to be long like, half an A4 page and then I was told they need to be short in order to not make the employer bored.

I'm unemployed so I need to know how do I get around telling them that?
Should I put it into the cover letter?

Searching for something in retail at the moment so need to cover letter asap.

I dunno what it is but I've never been good at cover letters lol

hytrogen

In my experience a cover letter should outline three points:
- previous or current employment experience (slight more detail than in your CV but not a monologue of what Shile used to say around the water cooler :-P) or how your education can apply to the job, or what you did in uni that was a team based aspect and or responsibilities (include sports clubs or societies, project works!)
- why you want to work for the employer, mention charities they sponsor or what you have heard about their style of work(show you researched who your applying to and
- what can you bring to the company to progress it effectively or what you can definitely do with a positive attitude.
Short, sweet, about a half a4 page in probably two to three paragraphs max! Don't write the next Angeles Ashes

druidhill

misscpmfan wrote: »

...
I was told recently that they need to be long like, half an A4 page and then I was told they need to be short in order to not make the employer bored.
...

It is all about the contents, hitting all the key points. This can vary depending on the job type. In fairness, half an A4 page is hardly long.

As you are unemployed, I would recommend a trip to the local Jobs Club which should be able to help you with everything you need. They should also have a bit of local knowledge (specific businesses that are hiring and what they typically look for).

Best of luck with your search.

MrWalsh

I tailor them for the job I'm applying for.

So if the job spec says they're looking for someone with a degree in whatever and 3 years experience in such and such, a self starter etc... I basically give all that back in the cover letter and say, I have a degree in whatever, 3+ years experience in such and such, am a self starter and whatever else and more info can be found in my CV which I attach for their perusal.

The Nutty M

I dont bother with cover letters. If your CV is not saying what you think should be in a cover letter, then it's time to look at the CV.

A short statement along the lines of "please find my CV attached for review ...." in a quick email goes a long way to not boring the person reading it.

PolaroidPizza

I agree with nutty m. its a lot more important to tailor your cv for the job you are applying for than to write a detailed cover letter.
although saying that, I don't work for a recruitment agency, and they are the people who filter job applications before they ever get to decision makers.

MarkAnthony

The Nutty M wrote: »

I dont bother with cover letters. If your CV is not saying what you think should be in a cover letter, then it's time to look at the CV.

A short statement along the lines of "please find my CV attached for review ...." in a quick email goes a long way to not boring the person reading it.

I disagree with this specifically, hence the quotation of it.

Perhaps some sectors expect CVs with no cover letter but anything involving soft skills would generally require some level of, how can I say this, BSing to get in the door. I'd certainly have expected a brief parroting back of a bit of info about the company, why they wanted to work for us specifically etc. That doesn't belong in the CV proper but on the cover letter.

Now I'm lead to believe if you can put your PIN number into a cash machine you can send in a CV on toilet paper, written in crayon, and be offered 15 jobs at a minimum of €80,000 a year in the IT industry so maybe it's different in some sector, dunno.

The Nutty M

It could well be industry specific and as you say, a soft skills job CV may be looked upon differently to my industry. That bit I left out and should have been clearer in my original post.

skallywag

Cover letters should be crisp, i.e. precise and concise.

Take a careful read of the job description, and use the cover letter to emphasize any relevant points which may not already be jumping out from your CV.

I would certainly go out of my way to avoid any waffle, for me personally it makes a very bad impression. Leave out the 'I think that X is a great company' etc, etc, nine times out of ten it comes across as completely disingenuous. In summary you normally should be able to bring everything across in 4-5 well formed sentences.

I would take particular care with spelling and grammar.

fret_wimp2

Haven't used a cover letter in years and I've moved jobs 3+ times without issue in the IT Industry.

I guess it depends on the industry, but I agree with whats been said already, All the info should be conveyed clearly and concisely in your CV. it its not and you're depending on the cover letter, you need to revisit your CV.