Cover Letter The cover letter is the first component of your application read by a prospective employer. You want it to be a short blurb about yourself that is enticing, interesting, and makes them want to meet you. In order to stand out, a candidate should exhibit their most impressive and relevant experiences on their cover letter. Your goal is to take your own experiences and tie them together in a way that meets the organisation’s aims and addresses the qualities of their ideal employee.
capacity to write persuasively and make clear points in correspondence.
A cover letter allows an employer to evaluate candidates when facing the “quantity problem”. Before commencing the application process, employers develop criteria for candidates. The good news for you is that this generally varies in small and discreet ways. All organisations are looking for people who have strong records of academia, leadership, responsibility and teamwork. It allows an employer to paint a picture of the candidate and cross-reference it with the application criteria.
b) Target your information to the employer – Conduct research about the organisation you’re applying to and cite your most relevant experience e.g. commercial experience should be preferenced in an application to a commercial organisation.
How can I best address the employer’s needs?
d) Attention to detail – Ensure there are no typos and that the information is correct; one typo can reduce your chances significantly as this is a highly competitive process. Read it aloud yourself to catch small mistakes, or ask a parent or friend to read over it.
There are three key questions on the employer’s mind as they reading your cover letter: Your cover letter should exhibit your skills, knowledge, and experiences in a way that demonstrates your competencies and how they might be relevant for the role. 1. Can you do the job? Your cover letter should flaunt your skills, knowledge, and experiences in a way that demonstrates your competencies and how they might be relevant for the role. 2. Will you do the job? You should also treat your cover letter as an opportunity to show you are dedicated, interested in the work itself and have the right mindset to succeed in the role and the organisation as a whole. 3. Will you fit in? Take some words to describe how you will fit into the organisation’s culture. Throughout the cover letter you want to weave your values and goals into your experiences, demonstrating how these align with those of the firm. Remember, this is a display of written communication skills, demonstrating your
24
a) Clarity of expression – make sure your sentences and paragraphs flow logically to demonstrate your qualities. The language you use should be incisive. Flamboyant language should only be used if it is the most appropriate choice. Remember you only have one page and the employer shouldn’t have to dig for information. Use clean, minimalist formatting that is easy to read and follow.
c) Target your communication to your audience – Make sure the language and experiences in your letter are appropriate and relevant. Use the selection criteria to help you address this point.
e) Address the selection criteria and key requirements – This is essentially the marking criteria. Just as for an assignment make sure you are answering and addressing these elements. How do I construct my cover letter? 1. Take stock – Before you start writing your cover letter, evaluate your past few years of law school. Think about some achievements you are particularly proud of and skills you have that may be transferable to the position you are applying for, specifically at the organisation(s) you have chose to apply to. Jot these ideas down in a list or a mind map. Alternatively, if you have an updated CV at hand, this will be a useful tool. This process is a good check for yourself. 2. Research – A cover letter can also demonstrate your research and analytical skills. Employers will be assessing how well you have researched the firm and the position, so if you’ve done this you’ll have an edge. Avoid relying
