- Focus on the employer, not on you. Demonstrate your value and don’t waffle
about yourself.
A good CV is worth its weight in gold. It will deliver results and help you advance your ca-
reer. It is one that is effective, solid and balanced in all areas. Most CVs don’t fall into this
category. If your CV isn’t selling you to the fullest then find out how it can be improved.
Recent statistics from Career Consultants On-Line Ltd show that the average CV manages
to score just 38% in the CV Assessment Test, confirming that the majority of CV’s are poor
information.
How to write a covering letter
The covering letter is one of the most important letters that you will have to write. A covering
letter is an absolute necessity. Without it, your job application is naked and incomplete. A
CV (Curriculum Vitae) is not a stand-alone document; it needs a covering letter to confirm
and draw out the relevant detail of the CV.
The problem for most job-hunters is, ‘How do I write a good covering letter?’ Do you need a
covering letter for a specific job? Do you need a covering letter template? Or do you need
covering letter advice?
Writing a good covering letter is difficult. Some candidates feel that it is harder to write a
covering letter than the CV. A good covering letter has every chance of being read, and
most business people will be courteous enough to talk to you on the phone, even if only
briefly, if you follow up your leads with a telephone call.
Most common covering letter mistakes
Most candidates do express difficulty when faced with having to write an effective covering
letter. The covering letter is the toughest letter that you will have to write because there is
the question of the right style, format and how to empower the employer. It is obvious that a
good covering letter can help you to clinch the job, so why do so many candidates not write
effective ones?
There is a lot of mystery surrounding the covering letter. The most common question I get
asked is ‘Do I need a covering letter if I am applying on-line?’ If you send in a CV or upload a
CV without a covering letter you run the risk of your application been over-looked. Employ-
ers may conclude that you are unreliable because you:
● Can’t complete a task
● Can’t present yourself properly (so how could you then represent the
company?)