We've spoken about writing a wonderful CV, but alongside that you will most likely need a cover letter.

Some people consider a cover letter to be pointless, but I think it's an extra opportunity to persuade a recruiter to give you a telephone interview.

Some recruiters may receive hundreds of applications a day.

So your cover letter gives you a chance to stand out from the crowd.

In this lesson, I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about writing a perfect cover letter.

Let's get started with the lesson.

Now, a cover letter should be an A4 piece of paper or a document.

To start, you will need to include your name, your contact details, the date, and the recruiter's contact details as well.

Even if you are emailing a cover letter, it needs to be written as a formal business letter.

Always send it as a PDF file, as you don't know whether the recruiter will be using Windows or Mac, and a PDF will open on both and the formatting will stay the same.

It should be no longer than one A4 page.

And I advise a maximum of four paragraphs.

Start with your name, address, and contact details in the top right hand corner.

Make sure your details are sensible.

Email addresses like crazybabe393@zmail.com won't make you look very professional.

Underneath on the left, you should write the company address and the date.

Now let's talk about appropriate greetings for your cover letter.

When you're doing your initial research, try to find the name of the hiring manager or whoever will be reading your letter.

This way, you can make your letter a lot more personal and it will prove that you're a determined candidate who wants this job specifically.

If you aren't sure of gender, just write their full name.

Make sure you check your spelling, because misspelling their name will cause them to disregard your application 99% of the time.

If you can't find their name or if you aren't sure about their name, you should instead start with,

"Dear Sir or Madam," or, "Dear Hiring Manager," or, "Dear Recruiting Manager," or even, "Dear Human Resources Professional".

Just avoid, "To Whom It May Concern," as it's a little outdated.

Now let's talk about the first paragraph.

The first paragraph needs to include why you're writing the letter and the position that you're applying for.

You should also mention where you found the position and the fact that your CV is attached.

At the end, you can add a little extra about yourself that you couldn't share on your CV.

For example, I am writing to apply for the role of account manager, in response to the advert posted on the Seed Jobs platform.

Please find my CV attached alongside this cover letter.

Having worked in the agricultural industry for five years, I'm very excited about the prospect of working with a company that has such a strong focus on sustainable food.

Let's discuss the second paragraph.

Now that you've introduced yourself and established your enthusiasm,

in the second paragraph, you can discuss your most relevant experience and talk about the specific qualifications and skills that make you the perfect candidate.

In this paragraph, you need to sell yourself, something that we talk about in another lesson.

Make sure you're not just repeating what you've put in your CV.

You want to add something extra while still emphasising your skills and experience.

Let's talk about your third paragraph.

The main goal of your closing paragraph is to thank the employer for their time and consideration.

You can also use this paragraph to justify any major gaps in your employment history, sum up your qualifications, and express an interest in continuing to the next stage in the hiring process.

You could also show your availability for a callback and an interview.

Before you sign off, you should try to promise more information.

For example, I would love to show you my award winning design portfolio, or I would like the opportunity to show you how I increased the productivity by 23%.

Just be prepared to fulfill any promises in the interview.

Now, let's talk about an appropriate sign-off.

You should end your message with a formal closing such as Sincerely, Regards, or Best regards.

If your closing contains more than one word, capitalise only the first word, as in Best regards or Yours sincerely.

Be sure to put a comma after your closing.

On the next line, you need to write your full name and then you need to write your telephone number and your email address on separate lines after your name.

Although you will have already put your contact information at the top, it's important to remind them.

Including it again makes life easier for the recruiter.

Now, we're going to be looking at cover letter grammar.

My first grammar tip is to avoid contractions where necessary.

I'm or I am.

Don't or do not.

I'd or I would.

So how do you know if it's okay to use contractions in a cover letter or not?

Well, it depends on who's likely to read it and the job that you're applying for.

You want to demonstrate that you're a good fit, and a good way of doing that is to match the communication style of the employer in your cover letter.

You should always use full sentences.

Bullet points are for the CV.

Full sentences are for the cover letter.

You should avoid the passive voice and use the active voice most of the time.

An example of the passive voice is, "A promotion to supervisor was awarded to me after only one year."

The active voice: "After only one month, I earned a promotion to manager."

The passive voice: "Loyalty was recognised as one of my strengths."

The active voice: "I am very loyal."

Now let's discuss the vocabulary that you should and should not use in your cover letter.

Firstly, don't use any slang.

This is a formal business letter.

You should also try to use key words from the job advert.

Additionally, you should use powerful verbs and adjectives.

I'm going to give you a list of weak verbs and the powerful verbs you could use instead.

Number one, instead of get, you can use receive.

Number two, instead of give, you could use provide.

Number three, instead of help, you could say assist.

Four, instead of answer, you could try reply.

Number five, instead of choose, you could say select.

Number six, instead of saying talk about, you could use discuss.

Number seven, instead of to make sure, you could say ensure.

And number eight, instead of to tell, you could use to inform.

Lastly, before you send off your cover letter, you need to check is everything attached?

Is your CV there as well?

Is everything proofread?

Are there any spelling mistakes or are there any grammar mistakes?

Right, if you follow all of my tips, you should have a really clear and concise cover letter that should make you stand out amongst the crowd.

Okay, now it's time for a quiz.

Correct the following sentences in the comments down below using what you've learned in this lesson.

There are also some further grammar mistakes.

I'll be looking out for correct answers, but please feel free to correct each other.

Number one, "To Whom It May Concern, I'm interesting in this job."

"To Whom It May Concern, I'm interesting in this job."

Number two, "I looking forward to get your feedback."

"I looking forward to get your feedback."

Number three, "I made sure all the customer were helped."

"I made sure all the customer were helped."

Number four, "I've give my contact details below."

"I've give my contact details below."

Number five, "I helped my boss "in developing to the project."

"I helped my boss in developing to the project."

Number six, "I love the project management, which is why I hope you choose me for this position."

"I love the project management, which is why I hope you choose me for this position."

Number seven, "I am available for an interview" at you're convenance."

"I am available for an interview at you're convenance."

Number eight, "Yours Sincerely Alan Smith."

"Yours Sincerely Alan Smith."

Right, that's it with the quiz.

Comment your answers down below.

That's it for today's lesson.

I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you learned something.

Don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media.

I've got my Facebook, my Instagram, and my Twitter.

And I shall see you soon for another lesson.