Anyone who is unemployed will recognise the scenario: waking up in the cold light of day, going online and applying for potentially dozens of job vacancies before you have even tasted a steaming hot cup of coffee. With unemployment being such a stressful period of your life, time can seem to be of the essence and force you to take several short cuts when it comes to your individual job applications. This should be avoided at all costs, regardless of any pressure that you may be feeling.
The Individual Cover Letter: More Important Than Ever for Job Seekers
There was a time when uniform cover letters and mass applications were standard, but that was before the information sharing age of the Internet. Now it is an entirely different, and by using a single cover letter for every application you are actively damaging your chances of finding work. Consider the following:
- Documents are shared with an astonishing ease thanks to social media platforms and instant mail technology, but this also means that they are more accessible than ever before. Recruiters can recognize generic cover letters easier than you may think; especially of you apply for dozens of roles simultaneously. Not only this, but can you imagine applying for 2 roles through the same recruiter with an unchanged cover letter?
- Similarly, think about what a generic cover letter says about you: does it suggest that you are interested in a specific role, or simply desperate to find work of any description? Of course it is the latter, and employers will also favour genuinely enthusiastic candidates over those you cannot take the time to compose a relevant letter of application.
How Do You Create the Ideal Cover Letter?
With this in mind, it is clear that a cover letter should be a constantly evolving document. It should consider the core requirements of each role as well as the changeable nature of your skills, and retain only a basic template and introductory text. If you do not adopt this flexible and malleable approach to your applications then you may find more doors closing than opening, and that elusive job will remain tantalisingly out of reach. So:
- Remember that your online profile is public, or at least it should be if you want recruiters to find your details while searching for candidates. Your cover letter and CV need to be conceived with this in mind, and comply fully with the fundamental requirements of employers. So just as you cannot have different copies of a resume on alternative sites, you must take great care to never use the same cover letter for individual vacancies.
- Respect the role that you have applied for, and more importantly the employer and their requirements. Consider what they require in a candidate, and if you are suitable then craft a letter which markets your skill set in a relevant way. Read the job description thoroughly, and be sure to include any experience or qualifications that are demanded in writing.
Remember that in a competitive job market employers are often forced to differentiate between equally viable candidates, and an individual cover letter could be the deciding factor in whether you are hired or otherwise.
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