What's the T?

Everyone loves a treat. For us recruiters, receiving a fantastic cover letter is better than a bar of chocolate and a cheeky beer on a Friday! And that’s saying something.

So, what makes a great cover letter?

- What do you put in?

- What do you leave out?

- How do you structure it?

Bear this in mind - no recruiter ever got to the end of reading a cover letter and thought “I wish it was harder enough to read”. So, simple, to the point, and clear is a good starting point.

There are many approaches you can take to a cover letter. One of them is the T-format and it takes a bit of time to do, but worth the effort. It’s a one-page cover letter that comprises 3 parts:

1. A short opening paragraph.

Make it a strong opener. Introduce why you’re interested in the job and company. Avoid generalising or cliches and be specific about an outstanding and relevant achievement to make us want to keep reading.

2. Two columns matching the requirements to experience.

With the job description in front of you, write the top 3 or 4 job requirements and put those in a left column. Then in the right column write the qualifications or experience you have that matches that requirement. Keep it brief and specific. Then, at a glance, it’s easy to see how you match the job.

3. A closing summary.

This is where you portray your interest, enthusiasm, and why you’re the right fit for the role. Ensure they know you’re happy to be contacted and put the right contact information in there.

Make sure visually it looks good with white space around it. Then we have ourselves a stunning cover letter that tells us you’re a great fit and made our job easier in the process.

For us, that’s like a giant pink bow around that yummy chocolate bar treat.

What gives you that “ah, thank you! You’ve made my job easier” feeling?

Written by Jason Connolly