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Do I really need a cover letter?

Do I really need a cover letter?

Have you spent hours and hours preparing your resume for that job you really want? And the closing date is coming down on you, and you’re thinking,

“Do I really need to include a cover letter? You know, they don’t read it, do they? Am I wasting my time?”

Well, I would like to say the truth is that we really don’t know if a cover letter is read or not. But what if it is? What if it’s the difference between you getting an interview or not? So why risk it? Always submit a cover letter unless you were told not to in the job application or the role description.

Four cover letter tips

All right, so to help you with your cover letter I would like to give you four tips today, and these are just quick tips that will get you started on writing your cover letter.

Tip 1: Introduce yourself!

The first one, and this is the most obvious one, introduce yourself.

Tip 2: Showcase your skills!

I don’t mean just the list of skills on your resume. Showcase your skills and tell a story about those skills that match what they’re looking for, okay.
They really want to know:

Tip 3: Show you care!

What I mean by this is research the company.

When you write your cover letter, and you put something in there about their company, they are going to think,

“This person cared enough to get to know us first.”

Tip 4: Include a call to action in your last paragraph!

You want an interview – everybody knows that – but you still need to tell them:

So, there are my four tips for today for a cover letter, and once again, my advice is:

Always submit a cover letter unless you are told not to in the job application requirements.

I’d like to hear about your experiences with cover letters – when you used one,
when you didn’t use one and what the results were – was there a difference. Let us know in the comments below. And I would also like to hear about any questions you may have.

Getting your cover letter right could be the difference between you getting a job interview or not. Don’t risk losing out on that job you want by not submitting a cover letter when it could give you that edge.

Thanks for listening all the way to the end and I hope to catch you on my next live video.
Bye for now.

If you would like to know more about the author Kathryn Burke, click here.

Do you need help putting together a professional cover letter for your resume? 

Contact our Career Consultants at Résumés for Results TODAY to discuss how we can assist you. You can call us on 1800 155 895 or send us an email to find out more. 

 We also provide and specialise in cover letter writing, interview coaching and job search advice. 

We offer services across Australia, including all capital cities and regional areas. Resume Writers bring years of experience to the table, with a full range of career services available. Résumés for Results are here to assist you to succeed.

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