Read also Hoja De Vida (Resume)
Once you have written the Perfect CV, a common question that is asked is “How to write a cover letter”. Most cover letter examples that I see are written in very formal and staid English. They begin with a line such as “I read your job advertisement with interest and wish to be considered for the position of … Please find attached my CV personal Statement etc
However, it is fair to say that most people don’t speak like this and to grab an employer’s attention you need to try some thing a bit different in order to get picked out.
Try writing your cover letter in a way that engages the employer by speaking their language. Use a more informal style of letter writing and remember to use the 80:20 rule of writing letters. Reduce the number of sentences that start with the word “I” to less that 20% and replace the sentences with ones that contain the word “you”. So a sample cover letter sentence may say “You are likely to be most interested in the experience I gained from working for ….”Think in terms of the employer and the company’s needs. There are usually highlighted in the job advertisement so make reference to them.Do the same when it comes to writing your CV Personal Statement. Choose a personal statement format that presents you positively but also demonstrates that you have clearly thought about the company’s need and the position you are applying for.
Related articles
- How to: Write a personal statement (reed.co.uk)
- Don’t Be Boring: How To Write A Cover Letter That Can Get You The Job (fastcompany.com)
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