A perfect cover letter can take you closer to your dream job

Dear Members and Friends,

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce is glad to share an article published by its Member Gi Group:

A perfect cover letter can take you closer to your dream job

A new year has just begun, it might be the right moment to think about new perspective and possibilities. If you are ready to start or change your professional life it’s time to edit a perfect resume and look for a good opportunity. But how to make your job application noticeable and effective? Try with a perfect cover letter.

The cover letter is an important complement to the curriculum, it allows you to show a personal side and demonstrate why hiring you is a smart decision. It is also an important tool for HR managers and employers to screen applicants for available jobs and to determine which candidates they would like to interview. The cover letter is often required and listed in the job posting but, even if not, to include one anyway will show that you have put some extra effort into your application.

The letter is meant to provide detailed information on why you are qualified for the job you are applying for and why you’re a strong match for the employer’s job requirements. It aims to present you in a more complete way, highlights some unclear elements of the CV and points out the interest in that specific company.

There are three general types of cover letters:

• The application letter which responds to a known job opening
• The prospecting letter which inquires about possible positions
• The networking letter which requests information and assistance in your job search

A perfect cover letter is made of four parts:

• Salutation: A professional greeting that addresses the hiring manager by name. If you do not know the name, simply write, "Dear Hiring Manager." This is better than the generic and formal, “To Whom It May Concern.”
• Introduction: Your cover letter opening should contain a self introduction. Write about who you are, where your expertise lies, where you found the job posting, and why you want to apply for the job.
• Body paragraph: This paragraph should respond directly to the job description. Describe how your professional experiences, skills, and abilities make you the best candidate for the company’s needs. To make that easier, you should include exact words and phrases from the job description. You can include a bulleted list of your accomplishments and show your knowledge about the company mentioning their current activities and goals and explaining how you can help them achieve those goals.
• Closing paragraph: A cover letter ending has to be a call to action, asking the hiring manager to invite you in for an interview. Provide your contact information and thank them for spending their time reading your cover letter.

What does it have to contain?

• In response to an announcement: must contain an indication of the source on which the advertisement was read and the location specification and, if any, the reference code.
• By self-candidacy: it must be specified in the subject that it is a spontaneous application and must be addressed to the personnel office at the c/a of the selection manager
• Motivation of school and university choices. Especially important for those looking for their first job
• Presentation of professional and work experience
• Recent graduates who cannot boast real professional experience, will be able to refer to collaborations during the summer periods, interests or hobbies trying to bring them back to a professional activity without forgetting to mention INTERNSHIP experiences.
• Description of your personal characteristics and work skills.
• Indication of your professional and development expectations.
   

What should it not contain?

• Attach other material in addition to the CV, unless expressly requested in the announcement
• Indicate ALL training and professional experiences being TOO LONG (they are already contained in the CV)
• Use the same letter to respond to different ads: must BE CUSTOMIZED
• Write long sentences and excessive subordinations that make reading difficult
   

The shape MUST BE CLEAR, PRECISE AND DIRECT.
 

Why is so important to attach a cover letter to your CV? First of all because it is addressed directly to the company for a specific application, it is more targeted than the CV. It is the tool that allows us to emphasize our competences for that specific job and position and it allows us to inform and convince the selector of our motivation.

Now that you have all the directions to write a perfect cover letter remember that this tool may make the difference between obtaining a job interview or having your resume ignored, so it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters.

Gi Group

Gi Group is one of the world’s leading companies providing services for the development of the labour market. The Group is active in the fields of temporary and permanent staffing, search and selection, HR consulting and training, as well as in a variety of complementary activities.

Kind Regards, 

CICC Team