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The cover letter structure & style

/ Category: Application letter

The format

A well-structured letter will allow your recruiter to get his/her bearings quickly. The most common format is a three-part letter that is sub-divided as follows:
You – Me – Us.

This format can be used when responding to an ad or making a spontaneous application.

  • Put your full contact details at the top left-hand side:
    • First name and surname
    • Address
    • Postal code/town
    • Telephone no. (pay attention to the recorded message on your answering machine!)
    • E-mail address (use a professional-looking address such as firstname.name@e-mail server)
  • Put below the contact details of the company to whom you are sending your file.
  • Put the date on your letter.
  • In the subject line
  • if you are answering an ad, give:
  • the ad's reference number + the job title + full time or part time work + the location
  • if you are making a spontaneous application, provide:
  • Job inquiry "title of position sought" in area/department xxx.


The cover letter in brief: 

Paragraph 1         You = The company to whom you are sending your letter and what it is about the company that interests you.

Paragraph 2         Me = My professional experience and skills that I can bring to this company.

Paragraph 3         Us = What you and the company can accomplish together. Show that you are the person who is best able to meet the company's needs.

Employment agency: If you are addressing a recruitment agency and don't know the name of the actual employer, keep it simple. At the beginning of your letter, you can mention what it was about the ad that attracted you. Describe your skills, your knowledge of the job and of the field. Show your interest in your profession and the knowledge that you have acquired through your past experience. In other words, explain what it is that you will bring to the company.

The cover letter style

What style works best to catch the recruiter's eye?
Be dynamic, clear and direct, and observe the following guidelines: 

  • Watch out for abbreviations and jargon that are only familiar to specialists and not necessarily the person who will open your letter. It's best to avoid abbreviations and to write any acronyms in full unless the term happens to be used in the ad.
  • If writing in a non-English language, it is better to avoid anglicisms unless they are common in your field (banking, information technology, etc.).
  • Avoid repetition.

 

 

 

Source: Manpower

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