What is the purpose of a covering letter?   Quite simply to present your job application and your CV to the prospective employer.  

There are many CV writing Companies who will offer to write a covering letter for you and will charge you for doing so.   I can’t see how this can be justified.   In any event you don’t just want one covering letter, you will need a separate one for each job application.  

Yes, I would always help a client who had a reason to express something particular in the covering letter.   They might, for example, want to draw attention to the reason for a gap in their employment, or say that they had relocated to a new area which was they were now job seeking.    But generally speaking, the shorter and more concise the covering letter is the better.   You want the employer to get on with the job in hand, that is considering your CV.   You certainly don’t want to repeat all the information in your CV only in different words.

Remember to keep it simple, keep it short, but also try to avoid making it look like a ’round robin’.   This can easily be achieved by including just one paragraph that is unique to each application.    This could be something like ‘I am particularly attracted to the position you are offering because I have always wanted to live and work in [anytown]‘.   Or ‘Having had a good look around your website, I believe that I would be really happy working for [your company]‘.   I’m sure that you know the type of thing I mean, and if you can give a genuine reason why you would like that particular job then I believe that would work wonders for your application.

Apart from that, unless you have something particular that you need to say, keep the covering letter as short as possible. 

Your job search is not just about finding a job - any job - you are going to spend a lot of time there, so be sure it’s a job that you really want.   If you focus your job search on identifying jobs that you really think you would enjoy and for which you are well qualified, it is inevitable that you will have much more success in your job hunt. Don’t panic and apply for just anything.  Do yourself justice and be selective.   

Be positive in your approach, try to view yourself from the perspective of the employer.   Make sure that your CV demonstrates that you have the relevant skills and competencies for a particular job.   It is surprising how many people miss this point.   Don’t just send out the same old CV for every job you apply for.   Look carefully at what is being advertised, if there is a person spec make sure that the skills you are demonstrating are the ones they need.  

It is not necessary to have a different CV for every job you apply for, but a few minor alterations to your CV can make all the difference to be sure you are pitching at the right level and can greatly increase your chances of success in the jobs market.  

 Looking for a new job is not dissimilar to looking for a life partner.   You only need one and it’s important that it should be the right one. 

It can be very disheartening if you get as far as the job interview, give it your best shot, and still don’t get the job.   But try looking at it from a different perspective.  Employers understand about their team and the job on offer.  If they think you are not the best person for the job then give them the benefit of the doubt.   Take the attitude that they are probably right and you wouldn’t have enjoyed the job anyway.  

If there is only have one vacancy then the employers have to choose.   If were to offer you both an apple and an orange and ask you to choose one, it wouldn’t mean that you despised the one you had not chosen.  So don’t feel rejected, put it all down to experience. 

It may take a very long time to find just the right job, but be confident that it will come along, although it may take some time.  Every time you go for a job interview you are adding to your interview skills.    Keep on believing that the perfect job for you is just around the corner.     

When you write your CV you make it user-friendly for sending via e-mail and storing on a database.   Here are a few good tips
•    write your CV using a standard font, that way you can be sure that the receiving computer will also have the same font loaded
•    it gives a very bad impression is your e-mail address is silly or suggestive - make sure yours is businesslike
•    be careful to read the requirements for CV submissions  most sites require either a Word or a PDF format
•    make sure that your CV doesn’t include images, grids or animations otherwise the database may not be able to read your file

Most people who are job hunting will look in the Press or on the Internet for jobs which are advertised.   They may post their CV on some jobsites and register themselves with agencies.    They completely overlook the less direct approaches which can be equally effective.

Consider speculative approaches.  Do some research to identify firms that you would like to work for and then give them a ring to find out the best person to write to.   This is very important because research* has shown that incompletely or inaccurately addressed CV’s and CV cover letters are rejected immediately by 83% of HR departments.  

Having identified the correct person within the firm, you can then make a speculative approach.  Enclose your CV and ask whether there are any vacancies which might suit your skills and competencies.   Don’t forget to send an sae for their reply.   You have nothing to lose, only the cost of a postage stamp. 

Another important tool in the job hunt, which is often overlooked is the power of networking.  Don’t be embarrassed or afraid of launching a networking campaign among people you have met during your career.   Fear of rejection is quite unjustified.   

If you were actually asking people for a job then you might have reason to be embarrassed.  However, when you network properly you never ask for a job, only for advice, assistance or contacts.   Such requests are usually received very positively because if you make the approach carefully the person will feel flattered that you should value their opinion.    

It takes a little bit of courage to make the first approaches, but once you get used to it you will find out just how powerful networking can be in your job search.   Good luck! 

Peter

* 2004 UK survey by the Royal Mail postal service of HR departments in large organizations in the legal, retail, media and accounting sectors