How to Smarten Up Your Cover Letter

Without a doubt, the cover letter is the most annoying part of a job application. Sure, putting together your CV and tailoring it to each job is hard work, but nothing beats the monotony of writing cover letter after cover letter.

It's an even harder task because it's difficult to know what employers are looking for. What does the perfect cover letter even look like? Luckily, we're here with some top cover letter tips to help yours catch a recruiter's eye in their inbox.

First, don't copy and paste As a cover letter tip, this sounds obvious, but employers can spot straight away when an applicant is pasting and reusing an old cover letter. You'll probably be applying for lots of similar jobs, so of course you can prepare a template, but each company needs to believe the cover letter was written for them.

If you haven't written a cover letter before, reading templates is a good place to start.

Tailor your wording to the specifics of the job description Again, it seems obvious, right? You'd be surprised how many people don't study job descriptions properly. If the ad includes a list of essential requirements, make sure you address each one and explain how your skills fit the role.

Read up on the company's recent history There may be hundreds or thousands of people applying for the job you want, but one way to stand out is to research the company thoroughly. Don't just tell them how good their company is — explain why.

Have they been in the news recently? Has one of their products sold particularly well? Have employees posted on Glassdoor saying how great the working environment is? Reading the company website and scrolling through Google are both good places to start. Include a few lines that show you've spent time getting to know the company.

Back up what you say with facts Don't just say the opportunity is "amazing" and the company is "great". Cite facts from your research. Have they been rated one of the best companies to work for? Have they published an annual turnover report? Are they doing something innovative? Show them how much you care about their company.

The same applies when writing about yourself. Don't just say you're a good team player — give examples of times you worked successfully as part of a team. Instantly, your cover letter will feel more substantial.

Don't hold back on selling yourself Not everyone finds it easy to sell themselves, but now isn't the time to be shy. You only get one chance to make a first impression with your cover letter, so shout about your achievements.

Imagine someone you've worked with and admired, and write a practical report about them. The compliments come easily, don't they? Now do the same for your own achievements and learn to sell yourself.

Write to the right person Not every job posting includes the hiring manager's name. If they do, and you don't include the name, get it wrong, or misspell it, you'll have made one of the biggest cover letter mistakes and you'll find yourself in the bin immediately.

If the name isn't included, you need to find it. The company should have a general phone number; if not, a general email address should work. Get in touch straight away and ask who to address it to.

Proofread thoroughly, and ask someone else to proofread too Check, check, and check again. Proofreading errors make employers give up instantly, so get another pair of eyes to make sure you haven't missed anything obvious. Even if your skills match every requirement, a cover letter full of errors will go straight to the bin. Reading backwards and reading aloud are two great proofreading tricks.

Don't be afraid to follow up by phone Our last cover letter tip might seem pushy, but calling the company a few days after submitting your application can really make you stand out. A quick call to make sure your application was received shows how much you care about the role, and gives you the chance to tell the person on the line how excited you are about the opportunity and how much you'd love to hear back from them.