Cover Letters - 3 Important Points You Must Consider

An employment cover letter is one that is sent with a resume or C.V. It gives you the opportunity to impress the employer with your skills and to let them know that you are the person they are looking for to fill their vacancy.

Before you continue with your application you might want to consider the following three points.

Your skills

Jot down some of your key skills that you use in your present job, particularly the ones you like using most e.g. you might be well organised and enjoy prioritising your workload every morning, you might be a great team member and really enjoy the weekly team meetings. List all the things you love about your present job or jobs that you have done previously. Think about skills you have been praised for in the past.

Make another list of your experience e.g. you might have recently gained some computer qualifications, you might have just completed a first aid course. Again, also include the experience that you've enjoyed gaining.

The employer's needs

Now study the job advertisement that the employer has posted. Make a list of the skills and experience that they are looking for. If there isn't a great deal of information in the advert look on the company's website; There may be a job description or person specification for the post. Is there anything on the company's website that shows what kind of people work there? Is it a young, dynamic company? Or a traditional, established company?

Are you a match?

Do your strongest skills and experience match what the employer is looking for? Could you see yourself working for this particular company? If the answer is yes - great! Go ahead and write your cover letter.

What if you're not sure if you want to work at the company? Perhaps they are very sales orientated and you would be expected to be a chatty, confident sales person - maybe you prefer to work alone and in silence.

Everyone is suited to different kinds of work. You don't want to apply for a job when you know that you're not really suited to it.

Take your time and study the job market. Keep in mind the kind of work that you enjoy doing. You will find the right job.

I once applied for a job which I knew wasn't right for me. The reason I applied was that it was a ten minute drive from my home. As I had young children at school I wanted somewhere nearby. The job was a disaster for me and I soon left. I found a much better one which was even closer to my home.

Take your time with your job searches - you deserve the best job for you.