Are You Harnessing The Power Of The Cover Letter?

The vast majority of jobseekers know the importance of focussing on their CV and making it the best it can be, making it comprehensive yet brief, covering all your key roles, qualifications and skills. But in an increasingly competitive job market (especially in the fashion industry), is this enough? Is there more that you could be doing to differentiate yourself from other candidates and land that dream fashion job? 

One thing that you should consider is the power of the cover letter (increasingly these days sent by email). If you’re not utilizing the cover letter in your job applications, then it really is something that you should consider as it can be a powerful tool in landing that dream job. 

The importance of a cover letter 

A well written cover letter can be the difference between getting an interview or not getting one. It’s your opportunity to take all of the skills, qualifications and experience you have, summarise it and send a direct message to the recruiter about why you deserve the job over and above the other candidates. In essence, it’s a focused sales pitch, so make the most of it! If the hiring manager is faced with a group of very good CVs, that cover letter and its contents could be what gets you that interview. If a cover letter is asked for… always send one This many seem like obvious advice but so many candidates simply fire a CV across through a jobsite or by email having failed to read the application criteria. If you’ve been asked to send one, then you should always do so, or you can expect your application to be rejected. Not doing so shows that you cannot follow instructions or pay close attention to what is required of you. Who wants to employ someone like that? 

Cover letter structure 

Structuring a cover letter is pretty simple, as it’s not a long letter and should be concise and to the point. 

●Your first paragraph should make an impact and explain that you are applying for the role in question. 

●Your second paragraph should focus on why they should choose you, so use your research on the job and the company to explain that you have the skills, experience and qualifications that they are looking for. 

●Your third paragraph should explain what they will get out of employing you, so talk about the outcomes that they can expect from employing you. 

●Your conclusion should be straight to the point and say that if they require any more information then they should contact you. And don’t forget to put all of your contact details! 

If you’ve never utilised the cover letter in your job search then by doing so you should really see a difference. At the very least, it shows recruiters and hiring managers that by being prepared to write a bespoke cover letter you really want the job in question. That in itself is a really powerful statement to make and can really differentiate you from the rest of the pack.